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City zoning.
Oh, i have to drive from single family zone to commercial district to pick up a loaf of bread. Then drive to education district to drop kids at kindergarten, and finally to business district to work. At the end of the day i hang out at bar/entertainment district with the guys from work to have a beer, but there's no public transport so I have to drink alcohol free so I can drive back home. That's only 120 miles in a day!
It won't surprise you to know that what you're describing was created by the car and oil industry and forced on North America through intense lobbying
Oddly enough it's worse when American cities don't have zoning laws. Houston TX has no zoning laws and it's a nightmare
Your description isn't how it works in most places really. The "districts" aren't usually that far apart. It would be common to find single family homes close by a school, or an apartment building right next to an office building.
Zoning is useful in scenarios like industrial vs residential buildings. You wouldn't want to have an apartment building next to a railroad hub for example. The railroad would be very loud/dirty, and industrial business would benefit more from being closer to the rail hub.
I know i exaggerated it for comedic effect. Most of my knowledge of zoning is limited to these two youtube videos