Yes, americans share a solipsism when it comes to envisioning walkable city life. City life without a car cannot be imagined, mainly, because we are trying to i

Yes, americans share a solipsism when it comes to envisioning walkable city life. City life without a car cannot be imagined, mainly, because we are trying to integrate a vision in our imaginations that rejects the fundamental premise of requiring cars for personal transport. What we cannot comprehend is that walkable city life is aspirational; the luxury, the tactile beauty, the convenience, a sense of safety. Rather, we see parking problems, small living spaces, and waiting for busses. Or carrying groceries, like a peasant. Or the brutal concrete jungles of NYC. Instead, the paradigm shift requires imaging the calm and splendor of walking in Bruges or Amsterdam, the quiet grandeur of Madrid or Vienna on a Sunday morning, the verdancy and fragrance of a Japanese suburb, Oxford's accessible country side, the convenience of having your kids and parents be independently mobile, ... There are even stellar examples closer at home. Imagine Savannah, Charleston, Asheville, ... All tourist traps, and really expensive. Some people know what's up, but not enough. It will get better, as more and more people travel more.