but when I lived in Virginia Beach, in the Navy, we had to have a car.  If you go to VA BCH, you will notice that it is one large strip between VA Bch and Norfolk.  One big sprawl.  So, to go to the bookstore, you had to drive, to go to the grocery store, you had to drive.  Zoning, I imagine, stripmalls by the highway and main routes separated large neighborhoods without any stores.

Now, I live in a very small town in Sauerland, Germany.  Not too far from Dortmund.  I don't have a car.  I walk about 200 meters to the Plus grocery, the doctor is another 200 meters in the other direction.  Everything I actually need is available in the Fußgänger Zone that starts at about another 200 meters from my apartment.  I rarely use public transport - I walk or bike.  My energy consumption footprint is minimal.

And to think, when I lived in VA BCH, they killed a high speed rail proposal

"Schiller sprach zu Goethe, Steck in dem Arsch die Flöte! Goethe sagte zu Schiller, Mein Arsch ist kein Triller!"