Defaults are powerful. Undoing them will feel uncomfortable. Since the 1940s, the vision sold to society is one of private motor transport, free-flowing highwa

Defaults are powerful. Undoing them will feel uncomfortable. Since the 1940s, the vision sold to society is one of private motor transport, free-flowing highways, and houses on big lots. The past 80 years have seen the execution of this plan with little to no reflection or criticism. We're finally starting to wake up to the reality that we find ourselves living in. We're questioning the choices made by our forebears and the infrastructure that has been constructed. If we want to change how cities are designed, we have to recognize the problem first. Only then can we embark on a decades-long transformation where we slowly replace buildings and roads with ones that reflect a new vision. The fact that US cities are dispersed is a red herring. Most cities will have expensive areas that people want to move into but are prevented from doing so due to a lack of available housing. The demand to densify already exists. By adjusting zoning laws, parking minimums, and transportation networks, housing can be added in those areas, and no one would be coerced to move to somewhere they don't want to be.