Desire lines
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A desire line is the abstract line that represents the airline distance between an origin and destination, and shows where people want to travel. The width of the line represents the amount of demand. Desire lines were used in early transportation planning, prior to the advent of computerized models.
They are manifested on the surface of the earth in certain cases, e.g. as dirt pathways created by people walking through a field, when the original movement by individuals helps clear a path, thereby encouraging more travel. Similarly they may be seen along an unpaved road shoulder or some other unpaved natural surface. The paths take on a rather organically grown appearance by being unbiased toward existing constructed routes. These are almost always the most direct and the shortest route between two points.
Desire lines can usually be found as shortcuts in places where constructed pathways take a circuitous route.
Many streets in old cities began as desire lines which evolved over the decades or centuries into the modern streets of today.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Throgmorton, James and Eckstein, Barbara Desire Lines: The Chicago Area Transportation Study and the Paradox of Self in Post-War America
- New York Times: And Now, a Scooter That Can Be Driven on the Sidewalk
- WGBH: A Cape Cod Notebook - Desire Lines by Robert Finch
- Carl Myhill, "Commerical Success by Looking for Desire Lines", in Masoodian, M, Jones, S, Rogers B, (Eds.) 6th Asia Pacific Computer-Human Interaction Conference (APCHI 2004), (Rotorua, New Zealand, June/July 2004). Springer-Verlag
- QI, series 4, episode 10, 'general ignorance' round
