Artillery isn’t only indirect fires the category of direct fire artillery exists. Tanks only get eaten alive in urban environments when they’re poorly supported. The US has used tanks in urban areas from Hue to Baghdad without problems.

Tanks’ primary role is infantry support and for that job they have a big gun. You know what’s useful when there’s a bunch of guys holed up in a city building, firing at you? A really big gun you can point directly at them and give them hell.