This really just comes down to choosing where you live and at the same time writing your MP once in a while requesting better funding for good permanent infrastructure.

This could include asking for larger wider sidewalks, dedicated bicycle infrastructure like multi use trails, bikepaths and bikelanes, or asking for the city to allow more medium density into neighborhoods so that transit becomes more visible in the long run. You can even advocate for the addition of local shops to be able to open in residential neighborhoods.

Living in a “modern” American style suburb generally means the need of a car as shops and pharmacies are generally “outside” of the suburb. Walking in these places also generally is restricted to along the same street you need to drive down with no “short cuts” or trails in between homes. So walking 30min vs a 5min drive generally the car will wins out.

There are places in North America that are more walkable then others, look for more dense neighborhoods with no driveways and local shops right within the neighborhoods. I would also recommend looking at the youtube channel “NotJustBikes” this can give you ideas in some of the stuff you can start looking at from a infrastructure standpoint to show you well designed places for people and not just cars.

And I’d not forget making places that look like this is possible, it just requires a shift in perspective to see one is “car centric”