[danans]

> this doesn't change the fact that given the standard of income and wealth of the average American household, everyone could live insanely more sustainable and financially secure lives by adopting a different culture.

I wholeheartedly agree, but the reality is that, today, unless you are willing and able to pay a large premium for "luxuries" like walkable neighborhoods and workplaces, the average American gets market segmented into the excessively large housing and excessive long commutes with no transit options.

The best way to address the underlying lifestyle issues is to make healthier lifestyles more affordable, but there are a large set of interests, from advocates of exclusionary zoning in city councils, to the fossil fuel industry lobbying heavily against good public transit, who are arrayed against any of the positive changes you suggest.

[SQueeeeeL]

Remember, city governments aren't there to help the population of the city, they're there to help the people in town with the means to engage in local politics. This normally means business owners and home owners.

There is a lot of research pointing to the benefits of walk-able cities and denser housing, but it will upset the power holders, so most of the population must live in expensive misery.