Editing Footpath (section)

==Urban footpaths==
{{See|Greenway (landscape)|Linear Park}}
[[File:Grange farm map.png|thumb|250px|A map which shows a network of paths (dotted blue) created in the town of [[Kesgrave]], Suffolk, England, for walkers and cyclists]]
There are a variety of footpaths in urban settings, including paths along streams and rivers, through [[park]]s and across [[Common land|commons]]. Another type is the [[alley]], normally providing access to the rear of properties or connecting built-up roads not easily reached by vehicles. [[Towpath]]s are another kind of urban footpath, but they are often shared with cyclists. A typical footpath in a park is found along the [[seawall]] in [[Stanley Park]], [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada. This is a segregated path, with one lane for skaters and cyclists and the other for pedestrians.<ref>Griffin, Kevin; Terri Clark (4 February 2005). "Grand Old Man of the Seawall". ''Vancouver Sun''.</ref>

In the US and Canada, where [[urban sprawl]] has begun to strike even the most rural communities, developers and local leaders are currently striving to make their communities more conducive to non-motorized transportation through the use of less traditional paths. The [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] has established the [[Active Living by Design]] program to improve the [[Quality of life|livability]] of communities in part through developing trails,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.humpal.org/program-areas/active-living-primer |title=Active Living By Design |publisher=Humpal.org |access-date=2015-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213091625/http://humpal.org/program-areas/active-living-primer |archive-date=2015-02-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Upper Valley Trails Alliance]] has done similar work on traditional trails, while the [[Somerville Community Path]] and related paths, are examples of urban initiatives. In [[St. John's, Newfoundland|St. John's]], [[Newfoundland]], Canada The [[Grand Concourse (St. John's)|Grand Concourse]], is an integrated [[walkway]] system that has over {{convert|160|km|mi|sp=us}} of footpaths which link every major park, river, pond, and green space in six municipalities.

In [[Walking in London|London]], England, there are several long-distance walking routes which combine footpaths and roads to link green spaces. These include the [[Capital Ring]], [[London Outer Orbital Path]] and the [[Jubilee Walkway]], the use of which have been endorsed by [[Transport for London]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/top-walking-routes|title=Walk London|publisher=[[Transport for London]]|access-date=2 July 2015}}</ref>

===Alley and steps===
[[File:Marten-Trotzigs-Graend.jpg|170px|left|thumb|A typical urban footpath: [[Mårten Trotzigs Gränd]], {{convert|90|cm|ft|abbr=on}} wide, the narrowest alley in [[Gamla stan]], [[Stockholm]], Sweden]]
An [[alley]] is a narrow, usually paved, pedestrian path, often between the walls of buildings in towns and cities. This type is usually short and straight, and on steep ground can consist partially or entirely of steps. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a [[Right of way (transit)|right of way]] or ancient footpath. Similar paths also exist in some older North American towns and cities. In some older urban development in North America lanes at the rear of houses, to allow for deliveries and garbage collection, are called alleys. Alleys may be paved, or unpaved, and a blind alley is a [[cul-de-sac]]. Some alleys are roofed because they are within buildings, such as the [[traboule]]s of [[Lyon]], or when they are a pedestrian passage through railway embankments in Britain. The latter follow the line of [[Rights of way in England and Wales|rights-of way]] that existed before the railway was built.

Because of [[topography]], steps ([[stairs]]) are the predominant form of alley in hilly cities and towns. This includes [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] (see [[Steps of Pittsburgh]]), [[Cincinnati]] (see [[Steps of Cincinnati]]), [[Portland, Oregon]],<ref>[https://www.urbannestpdx.com/life-in-portland/2019/4/14/explore-the-hidden-stair-walks-of-portland "Explore the Hidden Stair Walks of Portland". Urban Nest Realty]</ref> [[Seattle]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seattlestairwalks.com/ |title=Seattle Stairway Walks |publisher=Seattlestairwalks.com |access-date=2015-04-05}}</ref> and [[San Francisco]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/ |title=Stairways of San Francisco |publisher=Sisterbetty.org |access-date=2015-04-05}}</ref> in the United States, as well as [[Hong Kong]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abhk.org/ill-take-the-stairs%E2%80%A8/ |title=I'll take the stairs : Alliance For a Beautiful Hong Kong |publisher=Abhk.org |date=2013-01-11 |access-date=2015-04-05}}</ref> and [[Rome]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://italiannotes.com/5-steps-to-rome/ |title=Steps to Rome – Top 5 of interesting steps and staircases in Rome |publisher=Italiannotes.com |date=2011-06-29 |access-date=2015-04-05}}</ref>