[rglullis]

Start with better zoning laws so that people are not pushed to live 15 miles away from the their work and general/light commerce areas.

After that, just copy the playbook from the Netherlands. Amsterdam was very much like most big American cities until the 70s, their streets were steadily being redesigned for human scale and less car dependency.

It can be done and it can be done easily if Americans stop believing in their Exceptionalism.

[Gordonjcp]

> After that, just copy the playbook from the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a ridiculously dense population and is completely flat.

It's only a good model for other places with a ridiculous population density and pancake-flat geography.

You couldn't apply the Netherlands model to, for example, Scotland.

[rglullis]

Flatlands or not, it does not mean that cars are the only reasonable mode of transportation. Even if you insist of trying to solve a social problem with technology, it would make more sense for those living in hilly areas to push for electric bikes than self-driving cars.

[Gordonjcp]

I don't see what problem self-driving cars solve, either.

Electric bikes are too slow and inefficient, and require expensive hard-to-make components that depend on conflict minerals.

[rglullis]

Slow and inefficient compared to what? And what is the difference in battery technology from an E-Bike compared to Tesla?

[google234123]

We live in a democracy where people living in an area have some control over it. And they use this control to block zoning laws.

[piperswe]

They don't block zoning laws, rather they seem to ensure they are as strict as possible

[sokoloff]

If that’s what the people who live in an area want, that’s a democratic outcome. Democratic outcomes are something that I’m inclined to support absent compelling evidence why they should be thrown out.

[rglullis]

Except it is not what people want: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp5q-R0lZ0_FCUbeVWK6... and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajSEIdjkU8E should help you in understanding what is the problem with current zoning laws on the US

[sokoloff]

If a majority of people want something else, it seems like there’s a straightforward path for them to take. Do you see it differently?

[rglullis]

Was the majority of people that pushed for zoning laws that discriminated against minorities (it's mentioned in the videos if you don't know what I am talking about), or was it a systemic issue that needs to be corrected?

Do watch the videos, especially the "Strong Towns" series about the issue of how the rich suburbs are actually subsidized by poorer people living in bankrupt city centers. The only "straightforward" path for this to change is by getting younger people to participate a lot more on town hall meetings and to get their city councils on board with change. The status quo benefits and has no interest in doing that.