There is a great youtube channel called "Not just bikes" which talks about urban planning in the netherlands and how it results in much more livable cities than the US.
Seconded, amazing channel that describes why American cities are a disaster.
I've lived in a walkable area and QoL goes up immensely. No amount of money or luxury in an American suburb will compare. There is nothing like the sheer convenience of being able to get your groceries in a 3 minute walk.
Adding “City Beautiful” to the list of channels if you enjoy “Not Just Bikes”! It talks more generally about city planning/urban design, but satisfies the same itch of content.
Keep in mind, the Netherlands is the flattest country on Earth. If livable == mostly bicycles, it might be a somewhat unique situation. I am from Atlanta, GA, which is literally built on top of the Eastern Continental divide. There are no flat spots.
I'm in Trondheim, Norway. There are few flat spots. It is livable - livable doesn't mean mostly bicycles.
I walk most places: There are walking paths and crosswalks lots of places. I have nearby grocery stores in a short walking distance (10 minutes or less). Lots of folks ride bikes, and an amount of those folks put on studded tires in the winter. I simply do not as it is literally an uphill battle and I didn't grow up in a mountainous region. I can rent a manual bicycle or an electric scooter and be safe while riding.
I can take public transport both across town and out of town. I have choices: There is a small tram line for some parts of town. Busses go both in town and between towns. I can take a train through much of Norway (from up north to Oslo) or over to Sweden if I want. Taxis exist, too, and they are clean. (Illegal taxis are here too, but I've never used them).
And sure, there are cars and they are convenient - and like the US, you probably need one if you live in the countryside. But I can get by just fine without a license, too.
My god, you weren’t kidding! I’ve been watching his videos since seeing your comment. His intro video immediately signals the fantastic quality of the channel. So far the guy did get me excited about sidewalks.
