I'm seeing, also at least in the US, a combination of remote work and business moving out of the confines of a large metro's downtown into the sprawl themselves. This reduces commute. I'm also seeing more inter-burb infrastructure becoming private and not relying on funds from the municipalities they traverse. I feel like inner city space is more constrained than outer city budgets.

Yeah, I think that would really be a great solution. With NZs 3 year terms, no govt is prepared to invest heavily in infrastructure, which leaves privatization. Which kiwis really really hate. The insane choke point that is the Auckland harbor bridge could be resolved if a private company put in a second crossing, but nobody is prepared to pay or let it be in their backyard. Having lived in large cities including the US, I do love the attitude to just do stuff.