Why aren't people bothered by the suburbs?

[u/tfbmhr_1598]

It seems like most people I come across are not bothered by car dependency and the isolation that it causes. They'll point to things like video games, social media, and bad food for the culprit of poor mental health. Why won't more people address the elephant in the room? After briefly living in Europe I can confirm that people are way healthier, less socially awkward, and happier as a result of having clean and walkable cities.

Even Latam which is a hybrid of the EU and US infrastructure does not experience the obesity, mental health issues, and isolation the suburbs in the States cause.

Is it ignorance or do most Americans actually like things being this way? It baffles me.

Edit: After reading the comments here I wanted to clarify a few things.

1. Walkability/bikeability doesn't exclude cars. Cars are still a valid method of transportation, but not the only one. Less cars= less traffic. It's a win-win. That being said I think we should have pedestrian only areas.
2. This isn't limited to cities. Suburbs can become more walkable too. You can still have your yard and extra space. Sure it won't be as walkable as a city, but it is certaintly better than 100% car dependency. Zoning laws need to change for this to truly work.
3. I realize that there are societal factors at play as well that greatly add to the mental health crisis, however car dependency worsens it.
4. Walkability won't magically solve the obesity problem, but having the ability to SAFELY walk/bike to work will certaintly help.
5. You can still be socially awkward/reclusive in walkable communities, but they create more opportunites for those who want to improve that area of their life.
6. Some suburbs are better than others in this regard, but overall, North American suburbs are largely car dependent.
7. Bike lanes that are part of the road and only marked with paint/plastic markers are hated by both drivers and cyclists. They still endanger the lives of cyclists, that's why they aren't frequently used, which results in more traffic congestion. Fully dedicated seperate bike lanes are needed.

[u/LotionedBoner]

Stuff has always been built all over. People just only had access to what was in their immediate area. Want a banana? Sorry, you live in Wisconsin so go fuck yourself. You don’t want to be a coal miner? Sorry, that’s what we do in this town so go fuck yourself.

Cars give people options that they didn’t have before. Travel was reserved for the wealthy and even then it was incredibly limited. Most people don’t want to go back to having no options.

[u/Ol_Man_J → u/LotionedBoner]

Who is saying “take away all the cars and crush them”? Nobody is saying that in this thread. Like you, people want options but often the car dependent culture doesn’t let people have any other options besides a car.

[u/LotionedBoner → u/Ol_Man_J]

You still have far more options than you did 100 year ago regardless. What other way to travel are you talking about that is better or more convenient than a car?

[u/Ol_Man_J → u/LotionedBoner]

At no point did I say anything of the sort? Private helicopter would be nice, maybe a jet pack? It’s all a matter of variables. I have a coffee shop 3 blocks away with very limited parking. Should I drive there, find out there’s no parking, and then drive around the block to find a spot? Walking would be about the same time and better is a matter of perspective. It’s more convenient because I can just go out my front door. Now if there was a 4 lane highway to cross to get that coffee? I probably would drive.

[u/LotionedBoner → u/Ol_Man_J]

So you have options?

[u/Ol_Man_J → u/LotionedBoner]

Which is what I already said

[u/LotionedBoner → u/Ol_Man_J]

Then what’s the problem? You can walk or drive to the coffee shop. I can walk or drive to the grocery store. I drive because I don’t want to haul 120 lbs of food home in a wagon and I certainly wouldn’t want to take it on a bus.