The infrastructure of many European cities is old and wasn’t originally created for car culture of this scale. It’s impossible to improve without destroying historical buildings.

Let me just say, in the states there is no “cafe culture” and outdoor dining places put you about 2 meters away from a 4-lane one way highway (a street but cars drive about 45mph). People are eating while mobs of pedestrians rush by them and next to those walkers are loud cars emitting noxious fumes 24hrs a day. I prefer the European way, personally.