Car dependency is a big problem in most of the US.

I agree, and that often ends up being the excuse why kids aren’t allowed to walk or bike to school, and it’s fucking terrible.

But when you look at stats from countries in Europe, you have some countries that have kids being fully independent (in regard to walking or biking or taking public transportation) by their time they’re 10 or 11 and able to do considerably more than North American teenagers, even at younger ages. It’s kind of disgraceful for us North Americans.