I saw a video about a development in Tempe, Arizona, along the Phoenix LRT that claims to be the first planned car-free development in America. It has narrow, winding pedestrian streets between buildings, zero parking, and buildings built in a more desert vernacular style. I’d love to see more things like that.
There’s also the superblock concept, as best exemplified by Barcelona, which sounds very similar to what you’re describing.
Commie blocks are pretty good, actually
Why superblocks are peak urbanism
from Adam Something on youtube
Tom Scott also had a great video earlier this week about the town of Zermatt, Switzerland that has banned all cars except tiny electric cars, and even those are only allowed for special cases like minibuses and deliveries. I really think we could build a city without cars, and just have dense commieblocks, superblocks, or missing middle housing everywhere, with trams and cargo trams on like every street.