Everything about Alley totally explained
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.
Modern planning
Many modern
urban developments don't incorporate alleys. 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. Such roads are not alleys as they're too wide.
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. 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're 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;
see alley cat.|
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 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 or a parkway (such as Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin and Bologna Alley in Zagreb.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Alley'.
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