Oxford Street goes traffic-free
Mayor Sadiq Khan calls today a ‘truly momentous occasion for the capital’, with the removal of traffic just the start of Oxford Street’s transformation
Today, Monday 26 October, marks the moment that Oxford Street becomes permanently traffic-free for the first time, with almost a kilometre of the iconic road pedestrianised, as the Mayor of London launches an exciting new chapter for the nation’s high street.
The section of Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street is now closed to private motorised vehicles, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, cycles, scooters and pedicabs – transforming it into a place for people, not traffic, and creating a safe and spacious shopping hub in time for the busiest retail period of the year.
The transformation of Oxford Street has been in the making for decades, with previous attempts to pedestrianise the street failing to materialise. With the Mayor and Government now working together to deliver these bold plans, it finally unlocks a truly new era for the street.
For centuries, Oxford Street has reinvented itself, adapting to changing times and helping shape British culture along the way. There has been talk of pedestrianising Oxford Street for decades. After so many false dawns, and now working with a Government who share the scale of my ambition, I’m proud that we’re finally unlocking a new era for the street.
The first stage of the pedestrianisation project will see the introduction of a temporary ‘transitional scheme’ led by East architecture and landscape to deliver some immediate improvements for visitors, while enabling public feedback to help refine the final designs for a traffic-free Oxford Street. Hawkins\Brown is working closely with the Mayor and Oxford Street Development Company (OSDC) to develop this long-term vision for the future of Oxford Street and the surrounding area.
The project will create a world-class destination for visitors and Londoners alike – where flagship retail sits alongside next-generation workplaces, leisure, culture and hospitality – giving people more reasons to visit, stay longer and return more often. The new pedestrianisation and wider regeneration project aims to put Oxford Street back among top global shopping destinations, including Times Square, the Champs-Élysées and La Rambla.
Design changes in this first phase are intended to be temporary, enabling real-time data collection and feedback on how people use the newly pedestrianised space – including residents, accessibility groups, businesses, police, workers and other stakeholders. This insight will help refine the design of permanent improvements to make Oxford Street as welcoming and inclusive as possible. There will be opportunities to provide feedback in the upcoming months, as well as opportunities to attend events and give feedback in person.
This momentous closure signals but the start of a programme of transformation that will see change in time across the whole Oxford Street and the wider West End. As we set aspirations and benchmarks for the whole street including its ecology of side streets and neighbourhoods, we're looking forward to an Oxford Street that works as well as it can for as many as it can.
Images courtesy of the GLA & Caroline Teo
