1. Most US cities predate the automobile, and nearly every city freeway involved bulldozing existing homes and neighborhoods.
2. Places like the Netherlands also went car-heavy as they rebuilt after the world wars. Instead, more recent policies have made redevelopment to bicycle and people friendly streets possible.
3. A nice boulevard with space for trams, bicyclists, pedestrians, and cars is not narrow.
My overall point is that specific development policies cause the biggest differences between North America and, say, Europe. Not the specific geography and existing layout of the cities. (Though it certainly makes a difference, there are plenty of old European cities that aren’t nearly as people-friendly as Amsterdam because of their car-friendly policies)
They went so far as to invent the concept of jaywalking to get rid of those pesky pedestrians on the road, so that cars could have all the space.
The Netherlands was really car centric in the 50s and 60s, activism in the 70s turned it around and since then it's gradually becoming more bicycle centric. Some old highways from the 50s have since been demolished. Change is possible, it takes planning and political willpower.