Desire paths are informal routes worn into lawns, parks and other public spaces by repeated foot traffic. They often appear where an official path takes a longer route or misses a useful connection—but they are clues to investigate, not automatic proof that a design has failed. Whether to pave, redirect or close one depends on access, safety, ecology and how the site is managed.
Why do people cut across the grass instead of using the path?
People commonly take the route that seems to connect their starting point and destination most directly. When enough people make the same choice, footsteps can wear a visible track through grass or soil. That informal track is called a desire path or desire line.
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The mismatch is not always a shortcut across a lawn. A line of foot traffic can also show that a formal crossing, path or connection is not where people naturally need it. The University of New South Wales describes a light-rail crossing on Devonshire Street in Sydney as an example of a crossing location that does not match the natural pedestrian route. UNSW explains how desire lines can reveal movement and design patterns.
Writer Robert Macfarlane calls them “paths & tracks made over time by the wishes & feet of walkers, especially those paths that run contrary to design or planning,” as quoted by The Guardian. Their informality may be appealing, but the more practical point for planners and site managers is that repeated use can expose a gap between the network on a plan and the way people move through a place.
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What can desire paths tell planners and site managers?
A visible track is useful evidence about movement, but it does not explain by itself why people use it or whether it is appropriate to keep open. Compare the route people are taking with the routes available, the destinations they are trying to reach and the conditions on the ground.
- Access and convenience: Does the track create a useful connection or shorten a trip between destinations? In Detroit, researchers found that convenience was a common reason users valued desire lines.
- Route placement: Does the track point to a missing connection or a path or crossing positioned away from where people need to go?
- Safety and surface: Is the ground uneven, or does it become slippery when wet? A 2020 study abstract identifies uneven surfaces, insect bites and wet-weather slipperiness as possible hazards, not conditions that apply to every desire path.
- Ecological sensitivity: Would continued foot traffic damage a sensitive habitat or other protected area?
- Site management: Is the route maintained, or is it growing over as land use or maintenance changes?
The Detroit study combined remote sensing, spatial analysis, physical audits and interviews to examine informal routes and the contexts around them. Its authors argue the approach can be adapted elsewhere, but their figures describe Detroit and should not be treated as a count or trend for other cities. Read the 2019 study by Alec Foster and Joshua P. Newell.
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How common are desire paths?
In their 2019 Detroit study, Alec Foster and Joshua P. Newell identified more than 5,680 desire lines totaling more than 150 miles. Those figures show the scale found in their Detroit analysis; they are not an estimate for all cities.
The researchers also found that the total length of desire lines in Detroit’s Lower Eastside fell by 70 percent between 2010 and 2016. They linked the decline to changing land ownership, management and population dynamics. Some parcels received more management, while others were abandoned or became overgrown. This is a result for one Detroit neighborhood and period, not evidence that desire paths generally disappear over time. The findings are summarized by the University of Michigan and reported in the journal study.
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Should cities pave desire paths or close them?
There is no universal answer. A path that provides a useful, safe connection may be worth incorporating into the official network. A route across a sensitive habitat or over hazardous ground may need to be redirected or closed. The right choice follows from the site’s purpose and conditions, not simply from the fact that a track exists.
| Possible response | When it may fit | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Formalize the route | The connection meets a genuine access need and can be made safe and compatible with the site. | Surface, drainage, upkeep and effects on surrounding land. |
| Redirect movement | A safer or less sensitive route can serve the same destinations. | Whether the alternative is practical and convenient enough to be used. |
| Close the route | Continued use would create unacceptable safety or ecological costs. | How people will reach the destination instead, and whether a barrier or other management measure is appropriate. |
| Leave it informal | The route is useful and its effects are acceptable without construction. | Whether conditions, use or maintenance needs change over time. |
The University of Wisconsin–Madison, for example, asks visitors to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve to stay on designated paths to protect sensitive ecology. That campus example illustrates why a well-used shortcut is not always one to formalize; it is not a controlled evaluation of path interventions. See the preserve’s visitor guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can energy use explain which route pedestrians choose?
A 2026 paper in Cities proposes an energy-based method for pedestrian planning and reports model results indicating that pedestrians seek routes with lower metabolic energy demand. The finding offers one possible explanation for why a more direct or less demanding route may attract foot traffic. It is a model result, not a complete account of human behavior: the paper identifies safety, aesthetics and visibility as factors for future investigation. Read the 2026 study in Cities.
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