I realized after posting this that I am actually a time traveler from 1974, although I took the scenic route to get here. No regrets, wouldn't have skipped a minute of the trip.
Anyway, my response is pooper scooper laws. I remember walking through both American and European cities in the 80s and 90s, and how absolutely impassable some city streets were. Foul-smelling, hazardous, visually revolting. No wonder people thought walking in the city was a punishment for being poor.
I also remember how controversial these laws were when they first were under discussion. So many editorials about how they were unfair, unnecessary, and unnatural. I wish people back then could see city sidewalks now.
A lot of other good candidates in the replies. The prevalence of cell phones has come up a lot, but I'm not sure how visibly striking they are on city streets. Most people seem to use them for guidance or for audio entertainment (with very small earbuds!).
Anyway, this poll idea came up because I am visiting Buenos Aires for the first time since 2008, and the streets are really wonderfully clear of obstacles. I sent a photo to my family because it's something we all remember from our previous visit. I don't know if they passed a law, enforcement has improved, or just social opprobrium, but it's a much nicer city to walk in now.
@evan
The prevalence of cell phones lies not in what you see, but what you don't: mainly phone booths.
Also public information displays and maps have declined, since people can get the information on a smart phone (at least those who own them). This has become a hostile world for people who don't carry a smartphone.
@evan Interesting! This was definitely not my experience, but I’ve mostly lived in US suburbs.
But smoking? Oh man, it was EVERYWHERE. Same with cigarette butts. Now? Little pockets of them found mostly around isolated smoking sections. And you don’t have to change your clothes after going to a restaurant, or bar, or bowling alley, or…well, you get the idea.
@rscottjones agreed. Again, I was thinking about the cityscape from the streets. I think smoking would be most striking in bars, restaurants, and workplaces. Probably also the trillions of squashed butts would be the main difference on the street.
@evan
The decline in social acceptance of smoking seems the most dramatic to me (and perhaps the least expected for them).
Electronic maps seems like exactly the sort of thing they would expect from the future, although they might be a little surprised that we carry them around in our pockets.
SF of that era tended to be stuck on the idea of computers as large centralized machines.
@evan Not directly answering your question, but I have long thought that one of the changes that would most impress someone from, say, 1950, would be microwave ovens. They'd seem like total magic. Unlike a lot of higher tech, they'd be easy to understand without a lot of context.
@JorgeStolfi The newspaper one is really interesting. It's funny how much newspapers used to be part of the visible street landscape -- either in specialized newspaper kiosks, in automatic vending machines, or even human beings selling them by hand. I think you're probably right that this would be a big deal.
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