Quote Originally Posted by Bham1982 View Post
No, obviously that isn't the question. Detroit is already built out. We aren't starting from scratch.

The question is whether, in a region completely reliant on the automobile, a municipality would have any economic interest in limiting auto access. The obvious answer is no.
You assume a paradigm that is static and permanent. What if:

"Detroit is already built out. We aren't starting from scratch. The question is whether, in a region completely reliant on the streetcars, a municipality would have any economic interest in increasing auto access." --1940s Detroit

But no, we know that didn't happen. Deliberate efforts were made to hollow out Detroit with freeways. Likewise, deliberate efforts can be made to reduce reliance on automobiles and reduce the resulting inefficiencies in the regional economy. To do so just requires people who aren't scared.