Problem
The layout of paths will seem right and comfortable only when it is compatible with the process of walking. And the process of walking is far more subtle than one might imagine.
Solution
To lay out paths, first place goals at natural points of interest. Then connect the goals to one another to form the paths. The paths may be straight, or gently curving between goals; their paving should swell around the goal. The goals should never be more than a few hundred feet apart.
Related Patterns
… once buildings and arcades and open spaces have been roughly fixed by Building Complex (95), Wings of Light (107), Positive Outdoor Space (106), Arcades (119) - it is time to pay attention to the paths which run between the buildings. This pattern shapes these paths and also helps to give more detailed form to Degrees of Publicness (36), Network of Paths and Cars (52), and Circulation Realms (98).
All the ordinary things in the outdoors - trees, fountains, entrances, gateways, seats, statues, a swing, an outdoor room - can be the goals. See Family of Entrances (102), Main Entrance (110), Tree Places (171), Seat Spots (241), Raised Flowers (245); build the “goals” according to the rules of Something Roughly in the Middle (126); and shape the paths according to Path Shape (121). To pave the paths use Paving With Cracks Between the Stones (247).
Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 585.