That McDonalds etc are huge.
People also used to move.
I wonder if the perpetual instant gratification mindset also has a role.
Internet and social media give many a frantic/lack of impulse control mindset.
When I arrive in Chicago in 1962 for my job, buses were used a lot. I took a bus everyday to work. One had to walk to the bus stop and then walk to your destination after getting off the bus. Now everybody drives in the suburbs. I did too after moving to Downers Grove.