It's not a bad thing that people take trains rather than drive or that economic incentives favor living in cities.
Those are, in fact, things a country can want - for a multitude of reasons. Environmental impact, cultural centers, oil politics, etc. The fact that car-centric suburban culture is difficult to attain may be feature, not a bug.
This article does not describe a democratic process leading to a consensus that driving should be minimized. This article describes rent seekers abusing regulations at the expense of a populace that in fact needs to drive whtether it wants to or not.
Those are, in fact, things a country can want - for a multitude of reasons. Environmental impact, cultural centers, oil politics, etc. The fact that car-centric suburban culture is difficult to attain may be feature, not a bug.