Project Makkinga

Pilot in the North of the Netherlands: Makkinga

Makkinga is one of the first villages to have been made absolutely traffic sign free. The signs marking the built-up area are the only traffic signs in the village. Makkinga is a good example of how an entire village can be upgraded by the use of high-quality materials.

The old village with well over 1000 inhabitants has a perfect structure. Before the reconstruction of the village in 1991, however, this structure was dominated by a six metres wide asphalt road, which was used as a short cut by many motorists from the area. The whole lay-out of the road elicited speeding so that the quality of life in this village was impaired.

In 1991 the village underwent a metamorphosis. The object of the reconstruction was
enhancing spatial quality and reducing the speed limit to 30 kph. One tried successfully to restore the old features of the village. Among other things this was done by the careful use of materials with a specific character, such as small stones, cobbles, clinker bricks and Frisian 'yellows'. The former brink [village square] was restored and the village pump reinstated. The blue and white ANWB signs [organisation for signposts in the Netherlands] made way for signs more appropriate to the village. The new signposts no longer refer to the major places Wolvega and Leeuwarden at a distance of 20 and 60 kilometres respectively but point to the next village, for cyclists.

When the reconstruction was completed it appeared that traffic - even without signs - did not do more than 30 kph. And this is still so.