Agree 100%. Sadly when it comes to transport Britain has always been terrible at 'joined-up thinking'.Yes, completely agree. It requires joined up thinking, and basically investment and vision. The Dutch to be fair to them realised not long into the 1970s that car ownership and numbers of them would continue to grow and that cities would not be able to cope. They designed the car out, whereas we've always made token gestures and designed the car in. That has to change. It seems pretty obvious in retrospect.
As you say, the Dutch and other cities looked at areas outside the city, and create transport system that can work for all. Maybe there is something to be said for sitting in cafes and smoking spliffs, because they have a remarkable outlook on design, planning, and cultural change. I don't think they have the rabid reactions to finding new ways of doing things. They get on with it.
I also agree it's not a case of saying 'cars are bad', I own a car. What it is a case of saying is too many cars are bad. Too many cars make inter-city transport an often static slow experience. Too many cars make simple school journeys dangerous. IF, and it's a big if, we were able to change our behaviour, car travel itself maybe radically improved.
Can anyone really say our roads are safe and easy to get around? Is the current state of transport working? Can we radically improve all forms of transport with some vision and determination? Hope so.