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. In the British Isles an alley may be a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting. In Victorian urban development, alleys were built to allow for delivery of coal to the rear of houses. Alleys may be paved, or simply dirt tracks.Blind alleys have no outlet at one end.

Modern planning

Modern urban developments rarely 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, urban planner and a leader in the New Urbanism movement, an effort to end suburban sprawl, has long espoused the use of alleys as leading to a better integration of automobile and foot traffic in a neighborhood. His firm Duany Plater-Zyberk (DPZ) included alleys in their design for Prospect New Town, a New Urbanism project.

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 are too wide.

Other terms

The term "service road" is also used in the United Kingdom for a back road giving access to shops and retail units. 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 Nottinghamshire twichell is a common name. In Scotland the terms Wynd and Pend are commonplace. Jennel is local to Sheffield.

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.

A bowling alley is a building where the game of bowling is played.

alley

noun:   a narrow street with walls on both sides
noun:   a lane down which a bowling ball is rolled toward pins
name:  A surname (common: 1 in 16666 families; popularity rank in the U.S.: #2141)