I was recently in Vienna, the capital of Austria, trying not to be boggled by its astonishingly impressive transit system.

When urban fantasists burble about “carless communities” and “walkable cities,” this must be what they’re dreaming of: an efficient, interconnected network of trams, subways, bus routes, rail lines, bike lanes and pedestrian paths that change the question from “should I buy a car?” to “why would I want one?”