American cities have too many streets, parking lots, and garages

Car dependency has shaped modern life in ways that once felt liberating but now increasingly feel limiting. The rise of the personal vehicle opened access to new neighborhoods, jobs, and opportunities, but decades of designing communities around cars have brought heavy trade-offs. Vast areas are now paved for roads and parking rather than places to live, gather, or walk, and transportation costs strain many household budgets. The result is a built environment that isolates people, reduces mobility for anyone who can’t drive, and erodes the sense of community that makes places thrive. Andy Boenau with Fast Company has the full story.