US suburbs are more bike friendly than ever. In 1950 the car was the future and they quit building sidewalks in the suburbs. Today in new suburbs people want to see sidewalks so they build them. The roads are no wider today than the 1950s, and the lots are smaller. (in the 1950s people remembered the depression and still demanded large enough a lot for a large garden)

The above is of course a generalization and thus there are exceptions all over. It is still fairly true though.