For an amazing example of the ability of streetcars to be the most aesthetically-appealing form of transportation, see this fountain in Oslo, through which streetcar tracks are routed:
Here is a link to a brochure by the company that made the jets for the fountain, which wisely turn off when a train is coming through. This is what they look like when full:
The moral of the story: when the public works engineers say it can’t be done, don’t believe them!
Edit: I’m trying to get the google streetview link to work:
Getting Around Minneapolis 
btw the site the photos came from is a pretty brilliant exploration of lrt sytems around the world:
http://lrt.daxack.ca/
Reminds me of another fountain + train combination: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqzFD9SgP-0&feature=related
[…] I consider this design to be the IKEA of fountains – it’s so typical in Europe that in Oslo they run a tram through it. Just like the fountains in the existing design both define and enclose the plaza – they are […]