One Redditor used Atlanta as an example to show how far behind America is in maximizing metropolitan areas.
A repost on X, formerly Twitter, was posted on a subreddit dedicated to discussions about the harmful effects of car dominance on communities, the environment, safety, and public health.
Bringing light to the inefficiency of the U.S. metro areas, the post pointed out that Atlanta is 60% larger in land area than Tokyo but has 35 million fewer people.
The accompanying photo shows an aerial view of Tokyo with Mount Fuji in the background.
"There's cities, there's metropolises, and there's Tokyo," the post read.
Tokyo has one of the best and busiest public transportation systems in the world. Tokyo Metro is massive, serving around 6.52 million passengers a day, per Statista. Combined with the Toei Subway, Tokyo's subway system has over 280 stations that cover the entire city, making it that much easier to get wherever you need to go quickly and easily.
Tokyo has plans to build more with a new subway line and a direct train that will connect Haneda Airport with Tokyo Station in just 18 minutes. Japan's high-speed rails have inspired similar projects in the United States, although they've yet to come to fruition.
Having a clean, efficient, and reliable public transit system gives residents and visitors the option to get from one place to another without a car, which can save money and time. On top of that, every mile you travel by public transit instead of driving yourself can save almost a pound of pollution.
Walking or biking for shorter distances whenever possible is healthier for you and the planet. However, many people are reliant on their cars because there is no other option available. If that's the case, look into carpooling with others in your area and make sure to drive as efficiently as possible.
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The post created a lot of conversation and debate about city living, populations, and public transit.
"It's beyond frustrating, and any progress is met by so much resistance," one Redditor wrote.
Another chimed in, saying, "Rail and subway is just scratching the surface of the unbelievable people-movement system in Tokyo."
"Yet somehow the cleanest city on earth," an X user added.
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