Snow shoveling?

I was just viewing the PEP shoveling badge and wondering if what is smart in one area is stupid or wasteful in another.

Here we typically get 1 to 3 feet of snow each year.  So not a lot.  The catch is we often have 30 to 60 mph "breezes" to move that snow around.  4 to 6 foot drifts of hard packed snow are common.  Many times with bare dirt or just inches of snow near by.  Early snows are usually fairly dry and the heavy moist snows are typically a late winter early spring phenomenon.

So early snows it is usually best to brush them solidly beyond the edges of the sidewalk.  By scattering them over a wider area you settle the snow close so it doesn't blow.  By clearing more room you leave room for later snows so you don't have to lift the later heavier wet snow as high.

You want to avoid sharp square edges and blocks of snow that stick up.  Especially on the up wind side of the sidewalk.  Because of prevailing wind most snow here is ideally shoveled to the south and to the east.  This keeps piles that gather drifts down wind of the sidewalks helping to reduce the size.  Rather that sharp banks ideally they are tapered at a 30 to 45 degree angle.  This is way more work on a given snow fall but you make it up with the next blizzard.  Shoveling thru a 2 to 3 foot high drift is way easier than a 4 to 5 foot high.  You also especially want to avoid narrow paths with sharp square banks because they really tend to drift shut in hard to clear forms.  Because the blowing snow is way more work than the fallen snow more of your effort is in planning for it ideally.

Is it different in other places?

Definitely observe your local conditions... plan accordingly.
I'm in New England, and we get all sorts of snow, light fluffy stuff like our last blizzard, heavy wet stuff, to waterlogged snow-turned-rain; and rising/melting temperatures or falling/freezing temperatures.
Saying goes..."Don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes..."
There's times when I'll be lazy and push snow just to the edge, other times when I'll push it back farther. Early and late season snow tends to melt away, mid-season snow could stick around a while...that's where I try to do my future self a favor and not pile up the banks close to the driveway, I'll push the fresh stuff farther back off the top, so I won't have to lift over it next time.
It's also a good idea to keep your snow banks low on the side nearest the sun, so that it can reach the ground and melt it clear. Consider where the melt water goes as well.
Timing is a factor too, if there's falling temps, things can set up like concrete. Shoveling before that happens can help. It can also backfire... a switch to freezing rain can leave a crust on top of snow...or...become black ice on the bare pavement.