It would be disingenuous to call the present conditions representative of unfettered market choice. The reality is that the US adopted some market distorting po

It would be disingenuous to call the present conditions representative of unfettered market choice. The reality is that the US adopted some market distorting policies in the post WW2 period that gave rise to ubiquitous suburbs. The Home Mortgage Lending Act was one such measure, which granted loans to returning military personnel only in suburban environments. Then, of course, was the highway building spree to take families further away from the city. In short, the US manufacturered demand for the suburbs. And now we have a taste for it. So, even though there is clearly demand now, people didn't always prefer the suburbs. Suburban living isn't an intrinsic preference.