During the 1930s and 1940s very little was built. And what was built was seldomly maintained. So after the war there were a lot of people living in old, outdated, cramped, and expensive apartments and tenements in cities.
Suddenly materials were plentiful and there was a lot of available land. The economics of it were such that you could get a car and a home outside the city for less than an apartment inside. And the living conditions were so much better. People still had their bigger families and community bond in their new neighborhoods.
But over time that was lost and we were left with the isolated towns that need a car to get anywhere and there’s no community connection as the new development doubled down on bigger houses, bigger lots, more cars.
I live in an old pre-war town. Most every home was built before 1930 and most around the turn of the century. Lots of walkable shops and a train runs through. There are many old towns like this and they’re wonderful. They also tend to be expensive nowadays.
> Large parts of America have chosen forms of development that are naturally isolating: It's no surprise so many feel isolated!
Indeed - I have relatives that live in a place like this. Nice homes, etc but few trees, no sidewalks, and nowhere to walk. Why would you other than exercise? And a lot of people like it this way and that's fine. They want privacy and aren't interested in building relationships with people they live near. That's fine.
But if you want a sense of community then you need to live in a place that encourages walking by making it useful.