How to fix Cannot use namespace 'X' as a type in TypeScript

namespace Shapes {
  export interface Circle {
    radius: number;
  }
  export interface Square {
    side: number;
  }
}

let shape: Shapes;  // ERROR: Cannot use namespace 'Shapes' as a type

let circle: Shapes.Circle;  // CORRECT

import * as Vector3 from './Vector3'

// Instead of:
type Vec = Vector3;  // ERROR

// Use typeof:
type Vec = typeof Vector3;

namespace Car {
  export interface Props {
    color: string;
    wheels: number;
  }
}

// This fails:
type CarType = Car;  // ERROR: Cannot use namespace as a type

// car.ts
export interface CarProps {
  color: string;
  wheels: number;
}

// usage.ts
import type { CarProps } from './car'

type Car = CarProps;  // CORRECT

declare module 'mylib';  // Declares a namespace

import { MyInterface } from 'mylib';  // Imports from same module

type Result = MyInterface;  // This can cause confusion

// Keep only this:
import { MyInterface } from 'mylib';

type Result = MyInterface;  // Now works correctly

namespace Database {
  export interface Connection {
    host: string;
    port: number;
  }

  export class ConnectionPool {
    // implementation
  }
}

// Correct ways to use it:
let conn: Database.Connection;  // Access the interface
let pool = new Database.ConnectionPool();  // Access the class

// Incorrect:
let x: Database;  // ERROR: Cannot use namespace as a type