Absorptive Road Materials

A growing problem in architecture/Urban planning is overpaving. Runoff tests the limits of city water systems (often flooding sewers), floods towns, holds high maintanence, and causes local water table problems. Much of the new pavement being laid down is for 1) parking lots, 2) low-speed roads in & between commercial strip malls, 3) driveways and low-traffic residential roads. All of these areas are places that do not require traditional paving. In the old West (and still today in some places), a low-cost low-maitenence form of road is simply to put brick sherd on dirt. Water still sinks in (at least better than pavement), and it is still a fair road for low speeds & parking. Other materials could be used for limited absorption paving, such as stone and some recycled materials. Keep parking lots on slight slopes for some remaining runoff issues and sidewalks, though. Also, simply adding more material is easier for potholes & road repair. It just seems to be the common man's solution to the problem.

Yes, some components of this idea are baked (gravel is used in some areas for varying reasons, recycled materials do exist in pavement), but the concept is not generally accepted for the traditional parking lot or road.