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City planners spend years designing our communities, mapping out roads, parks, and sidewalks with meticulous care. But let's be honest, sometimes you look around and wonder if anyone actually thought about how real people would use the space. You see those dirt paths cutting across manicured lawns? That's just people voting with their feet, ignoring the carefully laid concrete curves. And don't get us started on ramps seemingly designed by someone who's never pushed a stroller or used a wheelchair! We've gathered 31 hilarious and frustrating examples where urban planning clearly took a wrong turn somewhere between the drawing board and reality.
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#1
Cat Path In Action
Uncle Panda 7 months ago (edited)
With cats, it isn't a desire path, it's a "fixed-that-for-you-pathetic-human" path.
Learner Panda 7 months ago
How is this a design fail? It's just where the cat chooses to walk.
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#2
Next Level Desire Path
DowntownStevieB 7 months ago
I so want to do this but with a yellow curb. People near me think it's totally okay to park in a lane of traffic UNDER a traffic light and next to a bus stop.
#3
Strongest Desire Path I’ve Ever Seen
Kris Tyler 6 months ago
If 2 rocks are going to be pathway width apart, you'd be a fool to ignore it
#4
They Gave In And Paved The Way People Have Been Using For 40 Years
#5
Never Heard Of This Before, But Figured I Had The Perfect One
#6
Path From A Tram Station To A McDonald's Restaurant. They Even Built Stairs
#9
Dublin Airport Didn't Think This Through
LizzieBoredom 7 months ago (edited)
What's a 7 Course meal in Ireland? 6 pints and a potato.
Load More Replies... 
#11
Wrocław, Poland - The Desire To Be Further Away From The Road
#12
Desire Path Created By A Squirrel We Feed Peanuts To Every Morning
#13
Understandable Desire Path
Lee Gilliland 7 months ago
There was a movement to add more natural elements to the landscape in the 1970s and 80s. You can see how well this worked out.
Load More Replies... #14
Accessibility Ramp At The Resort I’m Staying At In Mexico
There are a bunch of other awful ramps around the premises, but this is definitely the worst one.
#15
Now This Is Awesome, Railway Desire Path
Abandoned railway through a forest that’s been walked for years.
#16
The Desire Path Got Paved Out And Shifted Half A Meter To The Left
Teutonic Disaster 7 months ago
The drunken crosswalk probably had better build quality than that.
#17
The Bricks Are A Pain In The Feet
Teutonic Disaster 7 months ago
They'll shake your fillings out as well, if you'd be biking along them.
Howard Lewis Ship 7 months ago
Portland, OR. I believe, but am not certain, that these bricks are to control beach erosion, rather than for walking. I can attest they are not comfortable to walk on even wearing shoes!
Fractal Kaleidoscope 2 months ago
That would be incredibly painful for anyone in a wheelchair. If someone uses a manual wheelchair, it would probably be impossible to use. When I still had my manual chair, just riding over brick walkways was painful. I don't think I'd want to risk my $30K+ electric wheelchair on that. If it's to stop erosion, they need to put a usable sidewalk behind it.
#18
Tiny Path To Avoid The Bumps
Forrest Hobbs 7 months ago
The bumps are there to slow down the cyclists (of which York has many, being a university town). So the cyclists who don't want to go over the bumps, don't.
Load More Replies... #19
Been Here 30 Years, I Don't Think The Gate Has Ever Been Used
Lee Gilliland 7 months ago
Actually, that looks like the gate was left with the intention to rebuild the fence, which for some reason never happened. You find a lot of these in the New England woods.
#21
Those Are Stairs
#22
Every Waste Can In This Entire Major City's Hospital Is A Lie
#23
Braille Script Instead Of Being Embossed, Is Just Printed In Vande Bharat
#24
Does This Count? It's The Path This Cat & The Local Raccoons Take Across My Backyard
Bored Trash Panda 6 months ago
Why, because YOU don't like it? Maybe they like the natural look of growing grass and nature, not some 1/4 inch cut cookie cutter look that society has ingrained in peoples minds to be the norm.
Load More Replies... #25
I Saw This At My School
#26
They're Both Kind Of Appealing
#27
There Is A Door In The Ceiling Of Our School
Lee Gilliland 7 months ago
It's a roof or attic access. You're not required to have steps for them.
Blaze Onyx 7 months ago
we have one of these in the auditorium at school! I kinda wanna take the lift up to find out what's behind it >:)
#28
Interesting Approach
Lee Gilliland 7 months ago
Even those can't be used that close to a rail.
Load More Replies... #29
If Only There Was A Way To Number Apartments So You Can Tell What Floor They Are On
Inigo Montoya 7 months ago
Just remove the last digit, divide by 2, round up, then subtract 1 if the result is between 6 and 2. Simple!
#30
This Is The Inside Of The Bathroom Door At A Bar In NYC. After Some Cocktails, It Is Impossible To Pick The Right One On The First Try
#31
Waiting Room At Pediatric Clinic Has Toys Secured Behind Plexiglass For Display Only - No Actual Toys For The Kids To Play With
sturmwesen 7 months ago
And then there is my childhood pediatrician with walls of antique toys (wood, paper, tin,...) you got to play with
Huddo's sister 7 months ago
They may have had other toys pre-covid. It was always known magazines in waiting rooms and the toys could spread germs but Covid forced them to do something about it. Some places have brought them back but not everywhere.
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What do you think ?
Pink kitty 7 months ago
The article is titled 'Urban Designs That Make Absolutely No Sense To Real People' as opposed to what people? Fake people?
Kris Tyler 6 months ago
This site thinks I will pay for premium if they slow it down enough. Rot in failure hell
Pink kitty 7 months ago
The article is titled 'Urban Designs That Make Absolutely No Sense To Real People' as opposed to what people? Fake people?
Kris Tyler 6 months ago
This site thinks I will pay for premium if they slow it down enough. Rot in failure hell
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