Please bear in mind that the contents of this page are generalisations. The USA and Canada are huge countries - each region and each town is individual and there are many exceptions and variations to what I describe here. Everything is much more spread out, and it is this difference which first strikes the visitor from Europe. However, Typicalville has a relatively compact traditional town centre, with the shops and businesses sharing buildings.
Parking is on the streets, a few of which in the very centre of town have parking meters.
In Typicalville this central business district is dying - but the nearby town of Notquitesotypicalboro has a fully viable and healthy town centre. In both towns the streets are straight and wide, and laid out in a block grid pattern. During the day pedestrians can be seen walking on the sidewalks here. You can't perform a U-turn in this area. Here, as elsewhere, you can't park near a junction or a fire hydrant.