It's too bad when they built city hall because they thought of the plaza as an imitation of St. Peter's Square, with the basilica as a backdrop to a vast open space. Yet how does that space work? There's a Pope who gathers pilgrims on a regular basis. No amenities, one bathroom, no shops on the plaza, no food. Just a pope. Instead Boston's plazas have to be more like Piazza Navona: fountains, food, shops, places to sit and hang around, music and defined borders. I agree that all that's needed here are defined borders with lots of affordable shops and food places, along with other retail, small businesses, and offices, with the city hall as a backdrop. I've often wanted to open up the brick areas to retail and use the entire lower floors therein. Of course with all the trees they'll not be able to gather huge crowds for rally's etc., unless they want the landscaping to be trampled underfoot. The plan seems like an expensive nightmare to maintain properly...like Copley Square that's had to replace nearly all its trees after only a couple of decades.