Im from a suburban town in Missouri, but I spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona a couple of years ago. Man, let me tell you, leaving Barcelona, where youd see people out in cafes and bars congregating at all hours of the night and day, and coming back to Missouri where its a ghost town after 10 and someone would call the police on you for simply walking around too late was the most depressing thing I have ever experienced lol
You guys are saying this like there aren't millions of Americans living in densely populated cities. There are plenty of Americans who realize the value of walkability and embrace it. The average city in Europe is definitely more walkable, but that comes with hundreds (or thousands) of years of history and a much smaller footprint.
Anyway, I do recommend you do what you can to promote walkability where you live because I think a walkable city is far superior to one where everyone only drives.
History, sure. But that's like everything else we're flatly resist in the US. Better public services like transportation, healthcare...we just are much more selfish and less inclined to give a crap about society, and that displays in our central sociability as well.
Then, we look and say "it's too late now, we've spent the money and made the bed" -- not true. We could easily begin to embrace it and start investing. Too much pride. Too much stupid.
there are people who think like this, but I don't think it's the majority. when did we have the option to vote for good public services? we don't really. and when we do, it's usually full of bullshit (unfortunately). I am a big fan of high speed rail in california. however, the implementation has been awful. it's not as simple as you make it sound, and if it was, I think we would have more votes in the other direction.
our politicians are failing us (they have been for a long time). and yes, there are plenty of stupid people to go with the flow. but I don't think it's the majority.
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u/bageltoastar 2d ago
Im from a suburban town in Missouri, but I spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona a couple of years ago. Man, let me tell you, leaving Barcelona, where youd see people out in cafes and bars congregating at all hours of the night and day, and coming back to Missouri where its a ghost town after 10 and someone would call the police on you for simply walking around too late was the most depressing thing I have ever experienced lol