[wjnqx]

I don't agree that they're biased. Take LA as an example: there has been a massive expansion in the highway system there (in terms of new interstate sections and lane additions). There's more land area dedicated to transport than just about anything else. The fact is that cars are inherently inefficient in terms of space — they're huge, there are tons of them, and they're not used something like 95% of the time. Sure, maybe you could build your way out of the problem, but, like, why? What's the point when rail is so much more efficient?

The popularity of detached housing is really only a post-WWII phenomenon created by massive infrastructure investments in highways and tax incentives for homeownership (versus renting, which is basically pouring money down a hole in the US). It's a historical anomaly, and I don't think you can disentangle the desire for detached homes from the policy structures that incentivize it.

[nl]

I agree with your assessment of the highway system.

But saying [t]he popularity of detached housing...[is] a historical anomaly is somewhat misleading.

Widespread prosperity is new by historical standards. Penicillin is new by historical standards. Air conditioning is new by historical standards. It's unclear why owning detached housing - similar to what only richer people used to own - is any different.