Wasn’t saying its better or worse. A lot of us trade distance from work for space in and around the home. I’ve traded a one bedroom flat in Glasgow, within walking distance of many of the people, places and supplies that I use for a cheaper 3 bedroom A listed coach house, out buildings and pay the balance for that with a 70 mile round trip drive. Its affordable precisely because it has no viable public transport links. And is viable only because I drive.
But thats the difference – public transport wasn’t especially better back then. Beeching closed branch lines because they were under used, even though private transport was much less available or affordable. People’s first consideration then for choosing a place to live was proximity to the place they worked. And the point of social housing then was putting houses where workers needed to live.
Now people would rather see how far they can stretch the elastic from where they work, and greed for space locks them into car use.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcAqR-Hs9II[/video]