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Alley
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An alley or alleyway is a narrow, pedestrian lane found in urban areas which usually run between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting. In older urban development, alleys were built to allow for deliveries such as coal to the rear of houses. Alleys may be paved, or simply dirt tracks.
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Encyclopedia
An alley or alleyway is a narrow, pedestrian lane found in urban areas which usually run between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting. In older urban development, alleys were built to allow for deliveries such as coal to the rear of houses. Alleys may be paved, or simply dirt tracks. Blind alleys have no outlet at one end and are thus a cul-de-sac.
Modern planning
Many modern urban developments do not incorporate alleys. In some locations installation of gates to restrict alleyway access have significantly reduced burglary rates. On blocks where gates are not installed, residents sometimes erect home-made barricades at alley entrances.
Andrés Duany, American architect and urban planner has long espoused the use of alleys as leading to a better integration of automobile and foot traffic in a neighborhood.
In some modern urban developments, a service road may be built to allow for waste collection, or rear access for fire engines and parking.
United States
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Chicago, Illinois has about of alleyways making it the largest network of alleyways in the world. In 2007, the Chicago Department of Transportation started converting conventional alleys which were made out of asphalt, into so called Green Alleys. This program, called the Green Alley Program, is supposed to enable easier water runoff, as the alleyways in Chicago are not connected to the sewer system. With this program, the water will be able to seep through semipermeable concrete or asphalt in which a colony of fungi and bacteria will establish itself. The bacteria will help breakup oils before the water is absorbed into the ground. The lighter color of the pavement will also reflect more light, making the area next to the alley cooler.
Other terms
Alleys which are narrow pavements between/behind buildings can be known as snickets, , ginnels, jennels or alleyways. This has led to the portmanteau word Snickelway, originally in York, though the term has become more widespread. In Sussex the term twitten is commonly used whilst in Liverpool the term entry or jigger is more common. The word jitty is also often used in Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Gulley is the term sometimes used in the Black Country. In Nottinghamshire twichell is a common name. In Scotland the terms Close, Wynd and Pend are commonplace. Jennel is local to Sheffield. In Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, and the surrounding areas, certain alleys are known as Entries, as in Pogue's Entry, Antrim, and Calton Entry, Glasgow.
In Australia and Canada the terms lane, laneway and serviceway are also used.
In the United States and Canada alleys are sometimes known as rear lanes or back lanes because they are at the back of buildings.
Activities
Reduced usage of alleys can result in their decline. Under use, poor maintenance, poor night time illumination and narrow width may contribute to an increase in anti-social or illegal activities.
Use by automobiles
Many alleys, particularly 19th century ones, are wide enough to support automobile traffic. Such alleys are used in residential areas to gain access to garages that were built behind houses after the rise of the automobile. Others can be found in older industrial areas. Because alleys are narrow and often have only enough room for one vehicle to pass at a time, many alleys are one-way only. An alley serving the main entrance of residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, or carrying significant traffic, may be given a separate street name.
Other languages
"Alley" is of French origin, meaning "a way to go", and has been adapted in English as above. It is also used in parts of Europe such as Germany, Croatia and Serbia as a name for a boulevard, an avenue or a parkway (such as Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin and Bologna Alley in Zagreb). The Swedish word "allé" refers to any type of road lined with trees.
See also
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