Few places in the world are as poor in terms of lack of public spaces as the US. Roadside cafes, town squares, etc. are the norm in Europe. In the US, very few cities have such features. They are increasingly common these days in the form of &#x27;suburban town squares&#x27;, but they are almost always in some shopping mall or similar commercial enterprise, rather than in truly public spaces. To further complicate matters, even in college towns, faculty and researchers prefer driving to work than riding public transport. Nowhere is this more common than in the American Midwest, with its combination of vast sprawls and severe winters.