I felt the same way when I lived in Baton Rouge and Houston.  However, New Orleans has enough local diversity and distinct flavors to keep me remarkably satisfied for variety.

> Your examples only apply to a few metro areas.

Unfortunately true.  When in Phoenix, I sometimes wonder what "could have been".  Perhaps a series of medium size towns (~50,000) to large cities (~750,000) arranged in a ring of nodes on the Valley floor with rail connections in between and some "commercial only roads" between.  Each community set up on walkable, people orientated basis around each intercity rail node and an urban circulator rail system.  Human scale, multistory housing for most with community green space (yes irrigated, but limited).  Bicycles quite common, Golf carts more common than automobiles for movement within the local city.  Farm land and undeveloped desert outside each city or town, seperating each one.  Far less pollution than today.  Each city or town could have somewhat different demographics and architecture and resulting individual character.

In Europe, light rail does serve many small towns, but in areas with higher density than some parts of the US.  I could see service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that served La Place and Gonzales and West Bank service that services a half dozen cities.

We will be VERY past Peak Oil before the US does something comparable.

> Everyone can't live in NOLA

And many want no one to live here.  Destroy the living example of an American alternative.

> (but everyone should visit at least once)

Yes, we need the money !  :-) And one can learn as well "what could be" if one wanders outside Bourbon Street and the Convention Center.