Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

is driven everywhere by mom/dad as well....

My cousins (18/19) basically don’t get anywhere either, but at least they take the train then. They even voluntarily traveled with a few friends using only regional trains from Munich to the North Sea. (This was before the 9-euro ticket, but there were also quite cheap group tickets for regional trains only.) They actually found it pretty cool, although it was exhausting in the end... I don’t think it’s that bad in that form either, (you really don’t need a car in Munich now). Mom would still like them to get a license and they’re not completely opposed to it, but they just can’t really bring themselves to do it...

I can only really imagine the scenario of “being driven halfway across NRW to university every day” if dad also works around the corner. Otherwise, I don’t really buy it, purely logistically.

I absolutely cannot confirm that. Especially here in the countryside, almost everyone gets their driver's license at 17 or 18 years old.

That's also how I knew it from my youth. But back then I was half as old, maybe times have changed ;) The GU is located in the border area SIG/TUT, which is definitely not an area where you just travel by bus. And trains only run along the Danube Valley, but at least they run hourly.

The youth of today love luxury, have bad manners, and despise authority. They contradict their parents, cross their legs, and bully their teachers. (Sokrates, 470-399 v. Chr.)

I know it like that from my youth too. But back then I was half as old, maybe times have changed ;)
The GU is located in the border area SIG/TUT, which is definitely not an area where you just take the bus. And there are trains only along the Danube valley, and at least they run hourly.

When fewer and fewer young people get a driver's license, politics/economy are forced to create public transport and alternative transport options to get people to work.

"The youth of today love luxury, have bad manners, and despise authority. They contradict their parents, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers. (Socrates, 470-399 BC)

I am so intelligent, I could walk at the age of 2! You call that intelligent? I was still being carried at the age of 5. (I thought this fits thematically better with self-driving-refusing train allergy sufferers) ;-)

If fewer and fewer young people get a driver's license, politics/economy are forced to create public transport and alternative transportation options to get people to work.

I don't believe that. The problem is that you need a certain number of people for public transport to work. And not just one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. It is neither economical nor environmentally friendly if a bus runs for 1-2 passengers. In rural areas, there is not much to gain from general public transport; special solutions like company buses directly to the factory site make the most sense there. You simply can't want both. An affordable house with a large garden and public transport connections like in the big city. You just have to look at the circumstances. Our future place of residence has fewer than 400 inhabitants. I currently live in a building with 63 apartments, in a housing community of 3 buildings. These 3 buildings alone probably come close to the entire village. Similar buildings are around. The entire residential complex has about 17,000 sqm and certainly over 1,000 residents. Our new development area has 16,000 sqm and creates maybe 60-70 residents with 20 spots.