What is the difference between a 30km/h zone and a woonerf?

A 30 km/h zone is a residential area for living, working and shopping. It has a 30 km/h speed limit which discourages motorized traffic. In the Netherlands these areas have existed since 1984. Woonerfs have been present in the Netherlands since 1976 under the woonerf scheme. In addition there were informal farmyards and shopping precincts. In 1989, these different kinds of yards were all called ‘erfs’ and all placed under the ‘erfs regulation’.

A woonerf also has a residential function. It is only accessible for traffic that has the erf as its origin or destination. Beginning and end of a woonerf are indicated by the following signs:

The speed limit in a woonerf is 15 km/h (originally referred to as walking pace). Speed-reducing facilities must be used to enforce this speed; this means that a sober layout is not allowed. In a woonerf pedestrians may use  the entire width of the street to walk and play; there are no pedestrian facilities such as a sidewalk or footpath. Parking is only allowed in special parking spaces (marked with a P in the road surface). Like 30 km/h zones, a woonerf also has no bicycle facilities and any intersections that may be present are intersections without any designated priorities.