While having a car today is necessary when living any place where a century of planning has assumed everyone who matters has a car, this state of affairs is not indisputably better than what might have happened otherwise.

Home mortgages are only a few hundred years old, and it's not like they started out as prevalent as they are today.

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Just because we find ourselves in a particular place today doesn't mean other options aren't feasible. Assuming no better options could have ever existed sounds depressing.