If the zoning laws in a place aren’t the same as the US/Canada, everything will look different. Here in Brazil I also walk 3 min. to the nearest market, public transport is quite accessible everywhere. Schools can also be nearby and walking distance — though Federal Universities have a tradition of being quite far away from the city center.

Now, if you live in a smaller town it’s a whole different story and I suppose it’s the same in Europe. I don’t see the need to own a car living in a capital in my State, but in smaller towns basically everybody has at least motorcycles.