Alley may be paved, or unpaved, and a blind alley is a cul-de-sac. Modern urban developments may also provide a service road to allow for waste collection, or rear access for fire engines and parking. Because of geography, steps (stairs) are the predominant form of alley in hilly cities and towns. This includes Quebec City in Canada and in the United States Pittsburgh (see Steps of Pittsburgh), Cincinnati (see Steps of Cincinnati), Minneapolis, Seattle, and San Francisco as well as Hong Kong, Genoa and Rome. Some alleys are roofed because they are within buildings, such as the traboules of Lyon, or
Blind Alley Blind Alley "Blind Alley" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the March 1945 issue of "Astounding Science Fiction", and later included in the collection "The Early Asimov" (1972). Although the story postulates a race of intelligent non-humans, it is set in the "Foundation" universe, during the era of Trantor's Galactic Empire. "Blind Alley" was the only story from mid-1943 to mid-1945 that was not part of Asimov's Foundation or Robot series. Written in September and October 1944, it was accepted by John W. Campbell in October and published in "Astounding