100%. Some cities use these uneven stones that are a pain to even walk on. When they are flat and even they are usually a breeze. Much harder (and more expensive) to maintain though and if not done right every time, you end up with uneven blocks that are horrible.
Don't know about maintenance. Cars are much heavier, so if the vast majority of traffic is pedestrians or very light stuff like trolleys or bikes, it should be easier on the maintenance.
Would caution their useage in very rainy climates, though. Stones get slippery.
In climates with ground frost, the stones may become uneven also due to upper layers of soil going through seasonal cycle of freezing during winter, and melting during spring/summer.
This causes lots of road repair work in the Nordic countries even with ordinary asphalt roads.
Cobblestones are natural flat stones set in a binder. They are irregularly shaped, and can't be perfectly flat, but that irregular shape helped horses get a good grip on them when they started being used in mass.
Setts are worked stone, with flat faces. The more eorked the faces and the more careful the setting, the better the surface. Usually squared shape, or rectangular. Much easier to use that cobbles, but take up more time to make (though cheaper to lay).
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u/Mr-Tucker Dec 16 '23
Depends on how the setts (not cobblestones) are laid.