First-time visitors to London should cross off some addresses, such as Leicester Square, Brick Lane, and Abbey Road. The relocation is the first phase in a revitalisation of the historic commercial district, which includes plans to plant trees, construct seating, and create two new public spaces.
Oxford Street still attracts roughly half a million visitors per day, with consumers rushing between stores like Selfridges, Zara, and John Lewis. But city officials say pedestrianising the area will restore it to the ranks of top worldwide shopping hotspots such as Times Square, the Champs-Élysées, and La Rambla.
This is a historic day for London and for Oxford Street, London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the BBC. “This is a new era. While municipal officials began considering the notion of pedestrianising Oxford Street more than a decade ago, momentum grew in the last two years after the mayor’s office established the Oxford Street Development Corporation to oversee the project.
This helped to overcome criticism from local homeowners who claimed that diverting vehicles from Oxford Street would choke their neighbourhoods with traffic. After a public consultation, it was determined that reducing traffic would draw new shops and people to Oxford Street, making it “an iconic destination”.
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