That kind of mentality is so dense. For those people that are economically minded, just remind them that walkable areas typically generate a ton of revenue for the city through business and tourism by attracting people that will hang around and enjoy the area for a while.
People in cars are always in a hurry to get in and get out, so they won't be spending much time there. Plus, infrastructure for cars is spatially wasteful, so you have fewer occupants in the area to patronize businesses overall.
For all the want for money, you'd think villages, towns, and cities everywhere would zone and ordinance the hell outta public places to support this, but ๐คท๐ฝโโ๏ธ