[kenratboy]

This might not be a popular opinion, but it seems a pragmatic option would be more parking garages, with first-floor retail and 'pretty' facades. Build these, let the surface lots get developed or turned into parks. Have big garages on the edge of the downtown, next to transit. Have lower rates (encourage people to park near, but not in downtown, reducing uneeded car traffic of people just looking to park), which would allow for streets to be geared more towards people, mass transit, etc.

It is not realistic in many metros to think everyone will magically be riding in from the suburbs on trams, so mitigate the car traffic to keep cars out of the central downtown, and then free up the space for the good stuff.