US have very few proper dense cities, like NYC or Chicago, where you can actually walk for grocery shopping. (I live in Brooklyn, NY, do all my grocery shopping by walking, and don't own a car because I don't need it.)
Sprawl and cars are mutually reinforcing. In a sprawl (even it's formally a city), where walking is impractical, and public transportation is expensive to run, all grocery customers drive, so a store attracts customers from miles around, and has to be huge.
Oh, I definitely agree, though I think the problem might even be worse than just sprawl. A lot of Americans really think cars are awesome. Not just enjoyable to drive, but the best primarily form of transportation, no matter the public transit options.
This blows my mind. How many times have I watched co-workers waiting because they decided to carpool in b/c of bad parking, but their ride isn't really yet? How many times have plans had to be rearranged because somebody left their car somewhere, or someone's car is in the shop?
Not to mention the time wasted commuting, nor, way more importantly, how many people die in car accidents.
Hopefully, technology and new transportation models will help break us out of this.
Sprawl and cars are mutually reinforcing. In a sprawl (even it's formally a city), where walking is impractical, and public transportation is expensive to run, all grocery customers drive, so a store attracts customers from miles around, and has to be huge.