Not 'forced' like at the tip of a gun, but the big car companies (and others) pushed to redesign cities (probably before you were born) to service the automobil

Not 'forced' like at the tip of a gun, but the big car companies (and others) pushed to redesign cities (probably before you were born) to service the automobile. Neighbourhoods we razed to build roads, roads were widened, sidewalks shrunk or removed, public transport systematically attacked, etc. The history is well documented if you want to read about it.