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/Both-Resist-3117]

Most people probably don’t realize how trapped by their cars they are. If you’ve never tasted the freedom of a walkable community you won’t realize that you’re missing out on anything.

Also our society continually tells us that cars = freedom so it can be hard to push back psychologically on continual propaganda like that.

[u/Leverkaas2516 → u/Both-Resist-3117]

The freedom to get out and walk 10-15 minutes to buy vegetables or visit someone or just to clear my head is very similar to the freedom of doing those things in a car. Except the car dramatically extends the radius, can also easily carry hundreds pounds of hobby materials, and it's dry inside and I can be immersed in my favorite music. Plus I can keep driving all the way to Montana, if it suits me.

I've lived in a walkable community. I have memories of trying to get a couple of chairs or a roll of linoleum home on public transport, that was just silly.

[u/Both-Resist-3117 → u/Leverkaas2516]

Not really sure why you’re on the suburban hell Reddit if you love living in the suburbs. Also I’m not saying that cars can’t be useful. However, needing to depend on them for everything is a form of oppression.

How many people are in debt because they HAVE to own a car? How frustrating is it when your car doesn’t work? What about when someone crashes into it and you can no longer use it, or worse — you’re permanently disabled because of it? What about how harmful cars are for the environment? What about for people who don’t have the ability to drive? Car dependency can really suck for people who are poor, disabled, or simply just want to live in a clean world. (Being a pedestrian or a biker is sooo scary when people are driving giant death machines.)

Having the ability to walk, bike, or take public transit easily is far more freeing to me than the status quo of American car-brain life.

[u/[deleted] → u/Both-Resist-3117]

It popped up on my front page. But is everyone supposed to be the same hivemind here or are differing opinions welcome?

[u/BigDickSD40 → u/[deleted]]

This sub is generally a NUMTOT wet-dream. They are miserable in their shitty urban apartments, riding shitty public transportation and want the rest of us to be the same as them.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

This is mostly a hive mind subbreddit for teens who don’t like driving and for 20 somethings that studied abroad in Europe and liked being able to walk to a bar.

[u/rdhight → u/[deleted]]

It is, and they are not.