Universities seem like a social testing ground for the desired path problem.
Some universities get it. They'll see the paths humans make cutting through the grass and adjust their sidewalks accordingly.
Others don't and instead being a futile effort to penalize and police the grass rather than just giving into the human nature to want a straight line path.
This is a good description, and similar to my favorite game to play in public with my kids: “Find the normal distribution”
Of course the most frequent ones are on door handles or pushes. Then usually parking space oil stains around an entrance. Etc…
Desire paths are also generally very tight gaussians.
You can learn a lot about pattern of life just by looking at how humans wear down the world
Universities seem like a social testing ground for the desired path problem.
Some universities get it. They'll see the paths humans make cutting through the grass and adjust their sidewalks accordingly.
Others don't and instead being a futile effort to penalize and police the grass rather than just giving into the human nature to want a straight line path.
Nah that last image caught me off guard
I can't get to the blog for some reason. Web archive is also failing to archive it.
Anyone have a mirror?
The archive is working for me: https://web.archive.org/web/20260714142831/https://blog.jse....
Here's an archive of the archive: https://megalodon.jp/2026-0718-0554-02/https://web.archive.o...
Failing to load for me as well.
And me (UK).