What’s the alternative? Most town centres were planned in previous centuries. Councils can’t save the high street by tearing down the medieval streets and rebuilding them so they’re more like US cities. Besides, most towns have park and ride for precisely this reason.
In my part of SE England, there's 2 towns in the entire country that have park and ride. And it's hardly used.
We genuinely need 'build new villages', rather than 'surround towns with bland housing estates and retail parks'.
Until the UK local government town "planners" plan, the problem is here for decades.
- removal of parking spaces in urban centers (good luck doing that in the UK! People literally protest in the streets)
- large scale secure bike parking in train stations
- reliable and extensive rail network
- segregated bike paths between major towns and on majority of urban routes
- bike paths open to mobility assistance vehicles (independence for those too old to drive or with disabilities)
- one way and access only streets for motor traffic, walking and cycling is allowed / two way
- direct routes and bridges in urban areas reserved for walkers and cyclists, drivers must take long way around
- school buses replaced with guided cycling and cycle busses for children
- maintenance of cycle paths through winter (e.g. de-icing)
All of this creates spaces where people want to spend time, as opposed to more transactional journeys to out of town stores. The outcome is bustling high streets, cafe culture, etc. Children have some of highest independence and happiness scores in the world. Lower obesity and diseases of inactivity compared to most of developed world.
I definitely agree that there is a lot we could learn from some of our European neighbours.
The streets are gridlocked every day with people driving into the centre looking for an elusive 'free' space.
Whenever I complained people would say it was necessary to bring trade into the town despite the fact that half the shops had already closed down.
[1] https://arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org/2017/11/a-parkington-...
[2] https://earth.google.com/web/search/Glebe+Rd/@38.87877572,-7...