A method is provided for performing downlink scheduling in Long Term Evolution-Advanced networks. The method includes assigning resource blocks and transmission modes to users such that (i) each of the users that is assigned at least one of the resource blocks is assigned only one transmission mode chosen from a finite set of transmission modes, (ii) a sum of normalized costs across all of the resource blocks that are assigned to the users is less than unity. The method further includes incorporating a resource block and transmission mode assignment for a user into downlink scheduler of a base station to cause the downlink scheduler to perform downlink scheduling in accordance with the resource block and transmission mode assignment.