Many of those issues had nothing to do with how crappy commuting is for affluent people (a significant problem) but what happens to the people without the means

Many of those issues had nothing to do with how crappy commuting is for affluent people (a significant problem) but what happens to the people without the means to escape. Local tax base diminishes, concentration of low incomes leads to a sort of ghettoization, etc. Personally I think density and varied income levels within that are good for a number of reasons.