Dream protoboard? (not breadboard, the kind you solder to)

Space for USB - Yipes! Good catch. I just removed all the exposed ground from that 1.2" section, and slid everything over 0.1", so, if you wanted people to laugh at you, you could plug the whole damned board into your USB port (assuming it's not recessed).

Even 'it' is not recessed, usually there is other stuff connected right next to (one of the many) USB(s) where you could plug it. Then for putting it into a box or somewhere else, Pico's USB will stick out and make a waste of space for the rest of the board.

Acknowledged, it is not easy to meet all 'requirements'... could you think moving it and allow a breaking(cut)-0ut/away the area that a USB B connector would need when Pico is soldered to the board? - Yes, there would be some loss of prototype area / wholes, but in the end it would give a nice shaped overall boundary.

Just had the idea to provide two rows of the .5" places... they way the current layout shows, and another one inset for when Pico's USB 'tongue'-tip is flush with the board...