They're unplanned routes (such as one worn into a grassy surface by repeated foot traffic) used by pedestrians in preference to or in the absence of a designated path (such as a paved pathway). I love finding them, making them, exploring them.
It’s such a beautiful unspoken revolt that your local community participates in to say “Whoever designed the walkway was an idiot!”
I do think it says something about design & humanity, how humans are wired to find the most direct path even if they’re offered something nicer like a walking path or stairs. I also believe you should buy-in to elephant paths and do your part to fight the system (in this case, Walgreens).
