I grew up in rural Australia. Owning a car was required if you wanted to hold down a job or have a social life. I've lived in cities as close as possible to where I work for the last few years and I'd never look back (from living close to work, shops, nightlife). Walking is now where I do a lot of my thinking and where most of my good ideas come from. I've had good ideas while driving but it was usually just aggravating.

It isn't possible for everyone but the less time you spend in moving metal boxes each day the better your life will be.