A steep rise on part of a popular walk.
Many human footsteps begin to wear away the turf.
At some point it became slightly easier to walk in the same footprints as previous walkers, and then the effect magnified and the pattern locked in.
Of course a few awkward people will still walk to one side or the other, but these strays are treated with suspicion – and then disdain.
Finally, a sign is erected:
Andy Roberts is a writer who initiated DARnet. Contact me on aroberts@gmail.com or @aroberts on twitter
I seem to remember that York University didn’t put in any paths when it built its new campus – laid the whole lot with turf and waited a year – then put in the paths in the areas disclosed as natural pathways.
Eve, I’ve heard that story too and I hope it’s true. I can’t find the York reference but brought up this account of the opposite policy at Berkley:
http://www.peterme.com/archives/000073.html