Former suburbs kid here. I lived about 4 miles from the nearest grocery store. I used the sidewalks in my area all the time.

If you think that a sidewalk in a purely residential area only goes to nowhere, you spend way too much time looking at screens. Get out, meet, and spend some time with your neighbors.

Great that you had a sidewalk that went somewhere. Many suburbs do not.

if it is 4 miles to the grocery store, then you can't walk anywhere. Your ice cream will melt before you get back home. There might be a continuous sidewalk all the way, but you have better things to do with your time than walk that far.

You can walk to a neighbor's house. Surely that counts as somewhere?

Seriously, get out and meet your neighbors.

That is all. It doesn't count. Can you walk to work, church, the grocery store, other dry goods stores, restaurants, or even your friend from years ago who moved? In cities you can do all of the above in some form (meaning you might not like the store, but at least there is one)