A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclosed or covered footbridges that protect pedestrians from the weather. Open-top modern skyways in mountains now often have glass bottoms. Sometimes enclosed urban skywalks are made almost totally from glass, including ceilings, walls and floors. Also, some urban skyways function strictly as linear parks designed for walking.
Skyways in the Peachtree Center district of Atlanta
A Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) Chinese miniature model of two residential towers joined by a skyway
The Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy
The Hansasilta skyway crossing over the Itäväylä Highway in Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland
A footbridge is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians. While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a height above the ground", a footbridge can also be a lower structure, such as a boardwalk, that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. Bridges range from stepping stones–possibly the earliest man-made structure to "bridge" water–to elaborate steel structures. Another early bridge would have been simply a fallen tree. In some cases a footbridge can be both functional and artistic.
Women heading to market across a footbridge in Nahulingo, El Salvador
A footbridge in Shaharah District, Yemen
Stepping stones, across the River Rothay, in the Lake District, England
A footbridge seen in Walbridge Park, Toledo, Ohio, 1895