Nobody is suggesting we prevent people from living away from cities. People are talking about making North American cities human-friendly instead of car-centric. Also, the more people live in cities, the more the countryside is left wide open - for people who want to live there.

If you want to see how you can have your cake and eat it too, watch some of this guys videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQE_5MFCekg