Okay, a few things to unpack here.

Yeah, you need service roads. In the Netherlands they have the city center streets completely blocked off from traffic, only bicycles and pedestrians are allowed.

Once a day, usually 7-9 am, a hydrolic pole will lower at the entrances, allowing small supply trucks in to supply the stores. These trucks will have two hours to get their business done and leave. If the poles go up before they’re out, no worries, they can be lowered on demand for special circumstances or will just auto lower from the inside, not the outside.

Also only small delivery trucks are allowed. I’m in Vancouver and I’m amazed how they sometimes use trailer trucks in the fucking city center. What is wrong with you? You don’t need enormous trucks, literally.

In the Netherlands, all centers gave tile roads and it isn’t a problem because we use smaller trucks there.

The result is predictable. The city centers are amazing, everyone loves them, and ita always crowded like hell because these are human spaces, not car spaces

Car spaces are awful, dangerous and nobody wants to be there. Make human spaces!