system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
&gt;even if I wanted to walk, there are no sidewalks or anything on most roads

This is something I find really strange.

Here in the UK almost every road in an urban area which isn't a very large road will have pavements (sidewalks) going down it. There's definitely plenty of places where you might have a very long walk to get to a shop, but you could walk it if you wanted to.

Housing estates often have loads of extra paths and alleyways adding in as well, as short cuts for cases where the roads wind around and might take a long time to walk down.

Not putting pavements/sidewalks along roads seems like a really odd decision. Yes, it adds a bit of cost and uses up a bit more space, but it also adds a whole extra layer of transportation possibility by making walking possible. Even if you can't get to a near by shop, something like being able to walk to a friend's house a mile or so down the road is really nice.

I remember a friend of mine talking about going on a holiday to Florida, and they had to use their car to get anywhere. Even going from one shop to the shop next door involved getting the entire family in a car, driving from one car park to another, and getting them out again. There was no way to just park in one and walk to the other.
gpt
It’s by design. American car companies had a big hand in American city design back in the day. They want to make your life hell if your family doesn’t have two cars. Not one, two