What proof do you have for that? Why isn't it more likely that what people actually want is good paying jobs without having to spend 2 hours in traffic every day?
Say you have 2 options, one is to live in a lower density area with plenty of playgrounds for your kids, space to decompress and have fun, and a good paying job that you can do from home or close by.
Option two is being shoved like sardines into a 20 story high density apartment building for the privilege of what? What's the point of high density living? So you can all die from a pandemic faster? Or so you can eat at fancy restaurants unhealthy food?
Are you sure that your bubble isn't shaping your opinion?
rural areas are depopulating and cities/metropolitan areas are rising in both population and inflation adjusted real estate prices, both in the US and around the world.
Say you have 2 options...
This is a false framing. For most, the choice is between lower density area with a long usually car based commute or a higher density area with a shorter non car based commute. Things become more complicated when you have a life partner and you both have jobs, then you need to minimize the commutes while maximizing the job opportunities for both of you, and that happens best within cities.
"shoved like sardines into a 20 story high density apartment building"
this is also false framing. Some of the highest density neighborhoods in the united states are filled with 3 story buildings, like triple decker homes (ex: somerville MA) that are essentially 5k sqft homes 3 story homes subdivided into 3 units, one on each floor.
"What's the point of high density living"
The point of high density living is that it takes you less time to get to the things you want to do, it allows you to live without using a car to get everywhere, it allows for higher specializations of places, ex higher densities can support a niche board game store and gathering place, it allows a higher group of people to live within your commute shed so that you have more opportunities to make friends.
The past 5000 years of human history has included a nearly universal and constant theme of people moving from the countryside to the city. Post WWII America was a slight abberation from that, but we're back on trend like the rest of the world.
Say you have 2 options, one is to live in a lower density area with plenty of playgrounds for your kids, space to decompress and have fun, and a good paying job that you can do from home or close by.
Option two is being shoved like sardines into a 20 story high density apartment building for the privilege of what? What's the point of high density living? So you can all die from a pandemic faster? Or so you can eat at fancy restaurants unhealthy food?
Are you sure that your bubble isn't shaping your opinion?