our life in Singapore: we walk by on a pathway or is it a sidewalk?

The differences between a

SIDEWALK, PAVEMENT, FOOTWAY and WALKWAY!

In presenting the images of the walkways of Luar Batang, I googled the words "walkway" and "pathway" to have a better understanding of what the difference would be.

As most of us are from different parts of the world we all have a different understanding of what a walkway represents.

but for the people of Luar Batang I doubt they are even concerned about the 'difference",

To them it is a pathway to get from one area of the village to another.

to the boat to get their fish.

for the children to get to school.

to have access to each others homes.

maybe an area to sit and do their homework?

or sit and chat with friends?

even a wider area to play games

In US English, a walkway is a composite or umbrella term for all engineered surfaces or structures which support the use of trails. These include sidewalks, footbridges, stiles, stairs, ramps, paseos or tunnels.

In UK English, walkway more specifically means a covered or raised passage in a building or a wide walk in a park or garden.

A walkway can be at ground level, elevated, such as a boardwalk, or floating. It can be a simple paved path or something more complex to cross a road or a body of water. An open pedestrian overpass or a special tunnel are also examples of walkways.

Walkways can also be used by passengers to board or disembark from an aircraft to the terminal building.

A sidewalk (also pavement, footway, and sometimes platform) is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade (height) and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a kerb, there may also be a strip of vegetation, grass or bushes or trees or a combination of these between the pedestrian section and the vehicular section (known as a parkway/tree lawn in the United States).

In some places, the same term may also be used for a paved path, trail or footpath that is not next to a road, for example, a path through a park.

In the UK The most common term in everyday usage is Pavement. The professional, civil engineering and legal term for this is footway. Legally the term footpath is only used for paths that are not associated with a highway.

In the US, The term Sidewalk is used for the pedestrian path beside a road. Shared-use path and multi-use path is reserved for use for ones available for use by both pedestrians and bicyclists.

Walkway is a more comprehensive term that includes stairs, ramps, paseos (passageways), and related structures that facilitate the use of a path as well as the sidewalk.

The term footpath is used for pedestrian paths that are not next to a road.

The contrasts that exist in the city of Jakarta are striking. Huge housing complexes hosting multimillion dollar mansions dwarf makeshift shanty towns. Giant multinational corporations and enormous shopping plazas loom menacingly over tiny mom and pop "warungs". Brilliant green fields growing local produce butt up against dingy brown canals and dull grey roadways and pathways such as what is seen in Luar Batang.

The essence of Jakarta is in the contrasts that we were able to see for ourselves.

pathways barely wide enough for the motorcyclist to get through.

The people who live here pay $25.00SGD a month to the landowner.

They do not have bathrooms or toilets.

There are public bathrooms and toilets in areas of this village that houses 5000 people.

The cost of a bath is equivalent to 20 cents

the use of the toilet is 5 cents.

this is expensive for them and most 'use the river' for their toilet and bathing.

The small village is built above the rising waters of Ciliwung River.

Some areas of the northern part of Jakarta are actually below sea level and therefore subject to frequent flooding.... even at high tide, most homes have water lapping at the front door!

The planks of wood present a precarious walkway,

easily broken and dangerous to tread upon.