I consider myself to be very fortunate that life circumstances have made it possible for me to live carfree in a walkable urban hellhole. Not everyone wants to live that way, of course, but more importantly it isn't a realistic option for most people. Given the relative shortage of decent transit/pedestrian friendly neighborhoods, we have a situation in which no one wants to live in these places because they're too expensive and crowded.
But being carfree isn't some grand environmental statement. I just don't like driving and don't like spending all that money on a car. I'd have a lot less disposable income if I had to have one car per adult household member. And while these too crowded and expensive urban hellholes can indeed be expensive, I suspect that most people underestimate the cost savings of shedding one or more cars.
