I’m not a chicane person (give me speed bumps instead) but these seem effective for calming traffic and creating a sense of place.

In this particular case, the chicane and tree canopy narrow the roadway physically and visually, creating an expectation that the area needs to be navigated at a slower speed. The generously proportioned chicane also creates some nice gardening space.

Chicanes are not without issues. They can reduce visibility (Is that a child playing? I can't tell.) and they can create conflict points with bikes in shared spaces.

Well-engineered, properly spaced, smooth, sinusoidal speed humps like this one in Portland pose no problem for bikes or cars traveling the speed limit but give faster cars a jolt.

Bob from @Mpgreenways has studied speed hump geometry extensively. Many DOTs build them wrong. If you don’t like speed humps, it probably means you live in Seattle (or a long list of other places). https://twitter.com/mpgreenways/status/684441075218382849

Bob even built a doodadamathingy to make sure speed humps were shaped properly and gave it to SDOT (not sure if they lost it or not). https://twitter.com/Mpgreenways/status/744542765669720064?s=20

...and he used a bike-mounted accelerometer to measure G-forces imparted by some of the worst speed humps around town. https://twitter.com/Mpgreenways/status/707362751048384512?s=20

Speed humps and speed bumps are qualitatively different things but, in Seattle, the warning signs just say "bump" because MUTCD "speed hump" signs are just too irresistible for thieves.

Anyway, this thread veered sideways as mine often do but I hope everyone will demand better speed humps from their DOT and keep a straight face while doing it.