It depends where you live. Most of the states where I have lived except one, drivers were required to stop for pedestrians even if they were not in designated areas.
Does that mean roads are designed for pedestrians to cross?
Most roadways are indeed designed to be crossed by a variety of traffic, including pedestrian. Not all roadways are designed for pedestrian crossing--interstates are generally not--but most roadways are.
In residential settings, roadways are designed for a variety of traffic, and pedestrians are expected to be present and to cross roadways. In many small towns and in many neighborhoods, there are not necessarily sidewalks: people walk along the edges of the street. They also bicycle there, travel by foot, skateboard, rollerblade, push strollers and so on. OH: they also walk dogs.
We specifically chose our house because there were sidewalks. Our children crossed multiple streets to get to school and back, to visit friends, go to the park, library, movie theater, post office, market and so on. As did we. Still do. On foot. My husband walks to work. He crosses several streets to get to work and to come home. One of the biggest benefits of our neighborhood is its 'walkability' which has become a buzz word when people rate neighborhoods for desirability. The more 'walkable' a neighborhood is, the more desirable.
But there are highly rated residential neighborhoods with no sidewalks at all: kids learn to ride their bikes in the street, kids go from house to house trick or treating via street, visit their neighborhood friends, walk to the bus stop, etc. on the street.
Because we live in a college town, there are lots of university students who often play ball, frisbee, etc. on the side streets. In the street. People --not just students--run in the street instead of on sidewalks. In fact, the high school track team and I believe multiple university sports teams as well as groups of (cough cough) older gentlemen from the Y run in the streets.
It is impossible to go very far at all--less than a quarter of a mile-- without crossing a street.