I mean, we've got the rails. So I am not saying it's like we don't have rails. But more so I mean the urban density just isn't there (which is what you're talking about with the suburbs). But also that usually comes with industry, and there's so much space in America that just doesn't pull the level of industry and even if there's "cities" it basically just ends up having cities that look like burbs or like they're from the 70s (because I think a lot of architecture is from there or the 80s). And I know Japan has the bullet train, but it's way smaller than here. Idk what's going on in China, so I can't talk there. But I will also say that in America a lot of public transit is intentionally used to keep group a away from group b. So extending that access isn't seen as desireable.

Oh yeah for sure, I tried to explain this to my gal who is a west coaster. She doesn't get it, but I like urban density. But I also think there's still issues in that department as I don't think the funds that are needed for upkeep are put in as well as they could be. Also someone talked Ohio (was it you?) and I can't really imagine Ohians (is this the right way to say it? Hahaha) that are really interested in large scale public transit. At least in my own experience. Because like Michiganders (and Wisconsinites I'd say) they're pretty set in their ways and don't particularly enjoy change. But that's just my own take. I think a lot of the NorEast does it right. And ideally, that's where I'd like to land. But there's a lot that the NorEast does wrong too. And in general we really fucked up by not really being egalitarian with our urban planning or upkeep.

I am still baffled as to how you can be somewhere with humans and it's absurd to be "walking" and it's a common thing across America in a lot of places. And try crossing a highway on foot. It's a nightmare that you might not even know you're heading towards until you get there. Bugs me out.