Accessibility and growth of cities

Innumerable factors play a part in the growth (and decline) of our cities. Among the growth factors, how important is the issue of ACCESSIBLITY? By accessiblity, here is what I am suggesting: is the popularity of downtown (and surrounding areas) in major cities affected by how accesible these areas are to suburbia and the hinterland? That is, if getting downtown from suburbia and being able to comfortably park and drive in it is relatively easy, does that discourage city growth because a person can have (in his/her own mind) the best of both worlds: a suburban home with easy and comfortable access to the city? If conversely, entering the city is difficult and impossible once there due to parking and traffic, does that encourage in-city growth to give people the opportunity (the only opportunity) to enjoy what the city has to offer? There are some cities (certainly New York, Chicago, and San Francisco come to mind) that are just too difficult to truly enjoy unless you actually live in town since coming in from the suburbs can be an incredible hassle.>