> In the US, people need cars because of how cities are designed.

There are plenty of places in the US where this isn't true, and the number is growing.

Like where? Besides Chicago and New york I’m not sure.

There are plenty of mid-sized cities with decent bus service and bikeability, where living car-free may not be the easiest option but is totally possible and preferred by many people. Austin, Seattle, Portland OR, Boston, DC...

Those are all gigantic cities, Portland is about as big as the largest city in my country.

There are far, far more cities below 200k and in those its very hard from what I understand. Even some large cities with 500k people have really bad public transport and bad bike infrastructure.

And to live a car free live, you need to live reasonably close to the center where housing is very expensive. From what I understand, the places that are best to live for walk-ability are usually the most expensive.

I've been to Austin and while you can definitely live without a car I don't think it's going to be ideal. It's definitely a grid city that's optimized for cars. I'm not sure about Boston, it's pretty spread out as well but it's enjoyable to walk in, I still wouldn't compare that to any city in Europe.

Only if you enjoy getting soaked during European winters, or arriving sweaty at your date during hot Summers.

The winter problem can easily be solved with proper clothing. There are lightweight rain trousers you can wear above your normal clothes when it rains or snows, and of course a jacket with good ventilation.

The summers are more or less solved with e-bikes: you spend less energy paddling, while still profiting from airflow. I hear France has a subsidy for them. Unless you're in Spain or Southern Italy I guess, or there's a heatwave going on.

Ah, the proper clothing with rain and snow flakes into your face, and then hoping to the bathroom closet as changing room replacement.

This is where picking a bike that suits your climate/circumstances come in.

I commute on a bike (at least, if I'm not going out after work) in London. I have a foldable Brompton bike fitted with an e-bike conversion kit from Swytch. I can ride in the middle of summer (ok, maybe not in those 40C days we just had) and arrive with no sweat. And if it rains, no matter, I stop, fold up my bike and jump on the Tube, or a bus.

Except when there is no tube or bus to hop on.

but then your date is also sweaty, and both of you are in good shape!

And if one of the people turns out to be a creepy perv, the other one can leave without having to depend on them for a ride home in their car.

> In almost any European city you can live with just a bike just fine.

I don't think so. Imagine: two people, each with a job not in cycling distance, and they have two kids at two schools in opposite directions. What do?

It's easy if you get lucky with locations of places you need to go to each day, or (more often) you have enough money to buy your way there, or if you have enough money to buy a place on good public transport routes, but as with most people if you don't, then cars are still the most affordable way to do it.