> On street parking is so ingrained into the American lifestyle that any change to the status quo is impossible

Plenty of American cities regulate or even eliminated, in various measures, on-street parking.

Europe is much better at this than we are. Even when you have on street parking, they make sure there are clearances around cross walks and places where there are lots of pedestrians. Most US cities don't even care, even a supposedly pedestrian friendly one like Seattle.

Impossible is probably the wrong word. But where I live, a superficially "progressive" area, many of these traffic calming, road diet, etc. measures are met with regular opposition.