And cities designed for humans (as opposed to cars) take a lot of care to slow down (or entirely divert) the traffic in places where there are a lot of humans,

And cities designed for humans (as opposed to cars) take a lot of care to slow down (or entirely divert) the traffic in places where there are a lot of humans, make crossings safer, provide decent public transport, keep cyclists safe, etc. In my current city (Vienna), I still tend to look both ways out of habit, but in many places (like my neighbourhood) I actually feel safe crossing without actively looking.