Parkway

/ˈpɑrkweɪ/ noun

Definition

A wide road designed for recreational driving, typically landscaped with trees and grass, often restricting commercial traffic.

Etymology

American coinage from the 1890s, combining 'park' and 'way,' first used to describe scenic roads through or connecting parks. The concept emerged during the City Beautiful movement, emphasizing transportation routes that were themselves recreational experiences.

Kelly Says

Parkways represent a uniquely American innovation—roads designed not just for efficiency but for pleasure and beauty. The irony that we often 'drive on parkways and park on driveways' has become a classic example of English's logical inconsistencies, though the original parkways were indeed park-like.

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