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Take a look around. The roads, houses, paths and apartments that we see and utilize every single day were all made and designed by people with a lot of education. Being an architect is not easy, after all. But sometimes no amount of research or education can prepare someone for what humans will actually choose to do.
The “Desire Path” online group is dedicated to those hilarious and wholesome examples of humans and animals actually making their own shortcuts. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and share your thoughts and personal examples in the comments section below.

#1

Now This Is Awesome, Railway Desire Path

Now This Is Awesome, Railway Desire Path

Abandoned railway through a forest that’s been walked for years.

u/AdministrativeBag355 Report

RELATED:
    #2

    Wrocław, Poland - The Desire To Be Further Away From The Road

    Wrocław, Poland - The Desire To Be Further Away From The Road

    u/SylvanianCuties Report

    #3

    Does This Count? It's The Path This Cat & The Local Raccoons Take Across My Backyard

    Does This Count? It's The Path This Cat & The Local Raccoons Take Across My Backyard

    u/CleverSeedling Report

    A desire path, for those who are wondering, is an “organic,” human or animal-made trail. In short, when we, for example, take a walk in the woods, we tend to try to take the shortest route between location A and location B.

    Naturally, there will always be obstacles, trees, branches, roots and rocks. So we will weave around them. Over time, frequenters of any path will discover, almost instinctively, the most efficient route from A to B. They will begin to frequent this path until the grass and other vegetation is worn out and it’s visible to the naked eye.

    #4

    The Desire Path Got Paved Out And Shifted Half A Meter To The Left

    The Desire Path Got Paved Out And Shifted Half A Meter To The Left

    I remember the original desire path, the city decited to add a sort of pavement but the distance of the stones from each other makes it extremely uncomfortable to walk on, nevermind if you have a stroller or something. It got sorted rather quickly, people just dont use the pavement.

    mikul444 Report

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    #5

    They Gave In And Paved The Way People Have Been Using For 40 Years

    They Gave In And Paved The Way People Have Been Using For 40 Years

    u/PharthSharth Report

    #6

    Strongest Desire Path I’ve Ever Seen

    Strongest Desire Path I’ve Ever Seen

    Ybnjamie Report

    You can see similar examples of this at home. If you have a set of drawers, there will no doubt be at least one that you use more often. Depending on its age and materials, the handle might be more worn down. The important part of a desire path over a “regular” path is that it’s not planned. It is simply the culmination of months or even years of humans just walking.

    #7

    The Bricks Are A Pain In The Feet

    The Bricks Are A Pain In The Feet

    u/onairmastering Report

    #8

    Cat Path In Action

    Cat Path In Action

    u/astronemma Report

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    #9

    Tiny Path To Avoid The Bumps

    Tiny Path To Avoid The Bumps

    u/AtmospherePositive57 Report

    Indeed, it’s actually quite easy for us to accidentally make a desire path. This is why some national parks insist on folk’s staying on the designated trails, even if there is no risk from wildlife or other dangers. The Leave No Trace program is an example of this. Groups of humans walking repeatedly over something will wear it down, there are no two ways about it.

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    #10

    Path From A Tram Station To A McDonald's Restaurant. They Even Built Stairs

    Path From A Tram Station To A McDonald's Restaurant. They Even Built Stairs

    u/EcstaticFollowing715 Report

    #11

    The Field Next To Where I Live In Edinburgh Is Filled Little Desire Paths

    The Field Next To Where I Live In Edinburgh Is Filled Little Desire Paths

    u/charlietoday Report

    #12

    Joplin, Mo

    Joplin, Mo

    u/Braina1334 Report

    The examples here are perhaps more extreme, as once, say, concrete is laid down, it’s unlikely that a city or property owner will tear it up just to accommodate some folks who are walking. However, recently, some cities have decided to, instead, incorporate desire paths into walking networks, as they organically reveal where humans actually want to go.

    #13

    Desire Path Around A Roundabout In My City

    Desire Path Around A Roundabout In My City

    IH3DG Report

    #14

    They Can’t Live With Their Own Failure

    They Can’t Live With Their Own Failure

    u/MedicMisko Report

    #15

    Infinite Puddle Desire Path

    Infinite Puddle Desire Path

    u/cheezcakep Report

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    This comes out of a more modern approach to urban design and architecture, where intuitive processes are part of anything that is being built. One 2006 study even suggested that businesses should do their utmost to incorporate desire lines into their properties, for example, the layout of a store or even the paths around a parking lot.

    #16

    Found This Cheeky One Walking The Doggo

    Found This Cheeky One Walking The Doggo

    BillyBigBalls_ Report

    #17

    A Very Belgian Solution In Antwerp

    A Very Belgian Solution In Antwerp

    u/hesapmakinesi Report

    #18

    Bizarre Path In Geelong Australia

    Bizarre Path In Geelong Australia

    Dude-Oh-Duuuuuude Report

    After all, these are very clear indications of how humans, en masse, actually behave and businesses would be wise to pay attention. Some call this the wisdom of the crowd, where a variety of people, independently, make similar decisions. Naturally, humans are not actually dumb, we all tend to make rational choices with the options in front of us.

    #19

    Small But Worthy (Illinois)

    Small But Worthy (Illinois)

    u/IAmRyanMan7 Report

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    #20

    My Dog's Everyday Path

    My Dog's Everyday Path

    u/Velnica Report

    #21

    As It Turns Out, Cows Have Desire Paths, Too! The Black Dots On The Left Of The Picture Are The Cows. Taken From A Low Flying Aircraft

    As It Turns Out, Cows Have Desire Paths, Too! The Black Dots On The Left Of The Picture Are The Cows. Taken From A Low Flying Aircraft

    u/Your_Answer_Is_No Report

    Finland, for example, takes this very seriously. After the first snowfall, planners will visit parks and pay attention to where the first footprints are left in the snow itself. After all, snow covers the “official” path, which may or may not correlate to where people actually want to go. These findings are then used to update or even redesign the parks.

    #22

    You Cannot Stop The Path

    You Cannot Stop The Path

    u/Marshallton Report

    #23

    High Volume Interchange

    High Volume Interchange

    u/eenachtdrie Report

    #24

    No One Wants To Use The Stairs At The End Of The Bridge

    No One Wants To Use The Stairs At The End Of The Bridge

    u/TertioRationem3 Report

    Importantly, animals do this as well! After all, why would a deer care about the wonderfully symmetrical (yet inefficient) lines city planners have made on a map. Animals are creatures of habit just like humans, so it’s not at all impossible to find paths that your local wildlife has pressed into the dirt.

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    #25

    LOL

    LOL

    u/luvshac Report

    #26

    I Wonder If Anyone Actually Goes Through The Gate

    I Wonder If Anyone Actually Goes Through The Gate

    u/EllieIsNotOldYet Report

    #27

    Steep Desire Path, To Avoid A Slick Gravel Section. Lake District, UK

    Steep Desire Path, To Avoid A Slick Gravel Section. Lake District, UK

    u/paxolotl Report

    #28

    People Avoiding A UK Superstition - Walking Under Street Signs Is Bad Luck

    People Avoiding A UK Superstition - Walking Under Street Signs Is Bad Luck

    poppykart Report

    #29

    Vienna. Austria

    Vienna. Austria

    lilzip77 Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #30

    A Path Where People Don't Want To Go Side To Side

    A Path Where People Don't Want To Go Side To Side

    u/Krestenub Report

    #31

    The Rare "Convenient Detour" Desire Path

    The Rare "Convenient Detour" Desire Path

    u/HerbziKal Report

    #32

    Humans Don't Like The Nice Windy Path

    Humans Don't Like The Nice Windy Path

    u/Zarathustrategy Report

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    #33

    Path Of Traffic Violation

    Path Of Traffic Violation

    u/Iron_wolf_69420 Report

    #34

    This Desire Path Around A Truck That’s Always Parked In The Same Place At My Work

    This Desire Path Around A Truck That’s Always Parked In The Same Place At My Work

    anon Report

    #35

    The Crispest Desire Path I Have Ever Seen Irl

    The Crispest Desire Path I Have Ever Seen Irl

    u/Naturenurturenickers Report

    #36

    Desire Path Accepted

    Desire Path Accepted

    u/Major-tomm Report

    #37

    Flower Desire Path

    Flower Desire Path

    u/Capart189 Report

    #38

    Government Mandated Desire Path

    Government Mandated Desire Path

    u/FullMetalToaster Report

    #39

    I Guess People Will Still Use This Desired Path

    I Guess People Will Still Use This Desired Path

    u/Starrxs Report

    #40

    Short But Insanely Deep

    Short But Insanely Deep

    u/garfieldsfatass Report

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    #41

    It's Rats

    It's Rats

    u/1dontknowanythingy Report

    #42

    Desire Path At My College Campus, I Use This Bad Boy All The Time 👌

    Desire Path At My College Campus, I Use This Bad Boy All The Time 👌

    u/Adumb__Adam Report

    #43

    It Saves 3 Seconds... Worth It

    It Saves 3 Seconds... Worth It

    anon Report

    #44

    Path On The Pyrenees Mountains

    Path On The Pyrenees Mountains

    u/CivBinky Report

    #45

    Local Walmart

    Local Walmart

    u/Consistent_Farm8844 Report

    #46

    A Desire Path I Came Across While Walking Home From College

    A Desire Path I Came Across While Walking Home From College

    u/DatsLimerickCity Report

    #47

    Welcome

    Welcome

    u/ManBehindtheLens Report

    #48

    Why Is This A Desire Path?

    Why Is This A Desire Path?

    u/ABoxIsMyHome Report

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    #49

    Desire Path Through Fence

    Desire Path Through Fence

    u/PichDereck Report

    #50

    Found A Desire Step At An Apartment Parking Lot

    Found A Desire Step At An Apartment Parking Lot

    u/LawAndRugby Report

    Note: this post originally had 80 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.