I lived in a small city on the French Atltantic coast, where I can walk and bike in the city, but I have to drive to go anywhere outside of the city. Having a car is not really an option here; it's mandatory.

I also lived in Paris, where I used public transports exclusively. I hadn't a car.

Honestly, in both cases, there is no free lunch. In Paris, most people don't have a car, but yet they still live far away from their jobs and have hellish commute.

I agree that cars bring a lot of complexity, but stuffing all people in the same area also bring its share of complexity.