Winnipeg's debut woonerf is a positive downtown addition, according to word on the street.

Intended for pedestrian traffic, the woonerf—Dutch for "living street"—is the first real shared-street in Winnipeg.

"It's a liveable street that was designed for pedestrians and can be used by cars," explained Scott Suderman, a Transportation Facilities Planning Engineer with the City of Winnipeg.

It was created as a way to honour the heritage of Brown's Creek, which ran along John Hirsch Place and was historically responsible for draining water from the Exchange District.

The people-centered lane features many street-scaping components, including seating areas and public gardens. An artist was also hired to design lights that would reflect off some of the buildings surrounding the street. "The light that reflects off the buildings represents reflections of water," Suderman said.

The pavement patterns were also created with the intention of making the area look pedestrian-centric, with the paving stones arranged to represent waves from Brown's Creek.

The environmentally-friendly walkway also boasts of a space dedicated to pedestrian-only traffic, attached to the end of John Hirsch Place.

"It's about downtown placemaking and adding enhancements," Suderman stated. "A lot of people are choosing to move into downtown and the Exchange District, and we're supporting the people who are choosing to live there by having these vibrant, liveable spaces for people to enjoy."

The project has received much public support since its opening Thursday. "It has been received very well, it's fantastic when you can walk down the street and you can see all the people visiting, or the people walking there comment on how much they like the street."

"It's quite an amazing street."