[yowzadave]

Have you seen what streets in Japan look like? Very narrow, very walkable, views unobstructed by rows of cars; the streets become a place for interaction, a place for children to play, etc. It works because street parking is not allowed.

[anthonypasq]

there so many compounding elements that make it difficult to transition to something like Tokyo. Things in America are big because we had room and built our cities around big things. if you make the average parking spot the size of a parking spot in Tokyo, 95% of american cars wouldnt fit. and no one really uses mopeds because the streets are full of giant cars traveling very fast. And people need cars in the first place because cities arent dense enough, and therefore harder to justify public transit because the density isnt there etc.

someone in the chain just needs to bite the short term bullet to start a cascade of events that will make american cities more liveable

[yowzadave]

> And people need cars in the first place because cities arent dense enough, and therefore harder to justify public transit because the density isnt there etc.

...and housing is too expensive because cities strongly resist increasing density. We have indeed found ourselves in a cycle of dysfunction.