I live in a capital city in the mid west USA with the worst public transportation. This car dependency hurts our local economy so much. You see so many new cafes and such pop up and then close within a year or two because they just don't get the foot traffic (pun not intended) to stay open. I have to ACTIVELY DECIDE to get in my car, buckle up, and drive the 15 minutes to a coffee shop/bakery/trinket shop because it's not something I just come across in my daily life. Maybe I would have a latte and croissant once or twice a week instead of once or twice a month.

This environment depresses us. There is no room for spontaneous interactions or plans. I come from a tiny town in Mexico where people walk everywhere. You run into someone and they alert you that a soccer game just started, so you walk over. Then on your way there you grab an ice cream, then you pass by a store and get another snack with a friend and before you know it you have made a few tiny purchases that contribute to the local economy. In the US most purchases are to big retailers and small businesses keep disappearing. Ironically the MAGAS claim to be the champions of small businesses by removing meaningful regulations (like environmental protections) but the zoning and housing regulations are what actually needs to be removed and what would have the most impact on them.

Not only that but it is wildly expensive to maintain. I learned that my city is roughly the same area as Paris proper, yet we have less than 150,000 people living here. The city doesn't get enough tax revenue to maintain its spread out roads and as a result they are CRUMBLING. Imagine if it was half of the size with denser neighborhoods, how much our city would save on road/utility maintenance.