I think very few people are saying "no cars, ever!". We have one and find it very useful, like you say.
What many people are realizing is that cars should not be the be-all and end-all of urban design in the US.
What many people are realizing is that cars should not be the be-all and end-all of urban design in the US.
The United States has a population density of 35 people/km2.
San Francisco has a population density of 7,124 people/km^2.
I'm not sure what point you were trying to make, but I don't think anybody really wants to plan the rural areas of the US in the image of Hong Kong.