I realize I'm a broken record on the topic, but the "fix" to Governent Center -- the plaza, anyway -- is really simple and obvious. The thing was allegedly inspired by Piazza Navona, Plaza Mayor, Piazza del Campo, etc. What's the big difference (aside from the age and architectural style of surrounding buildings) between those squares and GC plaza? Those beautiful European plazas are ENCLOSED with buidings on all four (or at least three) sides and those buildings have restaurants, cafes, stores. GC is *sort of* enclosed on two sides, but by government buildings with no ground-level interaction, other than the Sam Adams taproom thing (which is a move in the right direction). Build along Cambridge Street and fill those structures with aforementioned bars, cafes, restaurants and do the same here and there along Congress Street and the Court Street side and you'd have an enclosed, activated public space. It's not real advanced math.