Even in the vast American drivable urban landscape, families can figure out how to do without a car—walking and biking to meet every personal need. Here’s how it’s done and you can do it, too.

Here are roles and strategies that I have experienced to help many others to heal a damaged built environment.

Of the four types of recovery facing America cities and towns—disaster, sprawl, disinvestment, and the recovery of community for those fleeing climate change—the recovery of places from serious disinvestment arguably gets the least amount of press...