I wonder if the experience of ‘shortcut’ is part of the motivation, so that as soon as you’ve established a path, what constitutes ‘shortcut’ also changes. I’d be interested to know if curved paths were more desire path-resistant, because they appeal to an intuition about adjusting (and therefore optimizing) course.
Note that my (implied) emphasis is on experience. If the experience is what is important, convenience isn’t actually what creates desire paths. Instead it’s the experience of making a personal choice to increase efficiency, of joining a club of renegades who brave the path less traveled, etc… So maybe allowing for that experience in the managed environment is another way of limiting desire paths.