Reading the first few paragraphs gives a vibe that this is purposefully written to bash on suburbs once more. Your takeaway is correct, as city living can be absolutely terrible, it usually is for most people in most cities, the "answer" lies in the middle of the road between downtown and suburb and the "question" is -- as always -- money.
America is in a place where people can actually make it happen as turning a suburb in a 15-min city is much easier than turning an existing city into a livable space that is not a crime-ridden concrete dystopia.
America is in a place where people can actually make it happen as turning a suburb in a 15-min city is much easier than turning an existing city into a livable space that is not a crime-ridden concrete dystopia.