Woonerfs: streets where cars are guests

I keep coming back to the Dutch woonerf idea, residential streets designed so pedestrians, kids and bikes have priority and cars have to crawl through. There's no separation of sidewalk and roadway, and the design (planters, benches, shifts in the path) slows drivers instead of signs. A few North American cities have tried versions of it with mixed results. Would something like this work on your street, or does it only succeed with Dutch-level cycling culture?