Jon Eaglesham, Managing Director at Barr Gazetas, argues that greening, inclusive design and space for culture must shape its transformation, with the needs of everyday users at its heart.

On Monday 26 October, the stretch of Oxford Street to Great Portland Street went traffic free. It’s a moment I’ve been looking forward to. 

Oxford Street has been part of my daily life for a quarter of a century. I’ve commuted through Oxford Circus for most of my career, and Barr Gazetas has been based just around the corner for more than 30 years. I’ve eaten, shopped, walked, socialised and exercised on this street for years. I’ve watched it change - and not always for the better. 

I support pedestrianisation. I believe it will benefit everyone who uses the street, and the environment too. But taking the traffic out is the easy part. What we put in its place is what will decide whether this works. 

Start with the basics. Oxford Street has almost no tree canopy or meaningful greening. It is exposed to increasingly intense summer heat and poor air quality, and it can be a harsh place to be. Anyone who has walked its length in August knows the feeling. 

It also doesn’t work well for everyone. Wayfinding for blind and visually impaired people is poor. For a street of this length, there is very little seating, which matters most to those who are less able to walk long distances. Inclusive design is simply good design, and here it is largely missing. 

There is nowhere to pause. There are no dedicated spaces for events, art or culture, nothing that invites people to stop rather than keep moving. The retail mix leans heavily towards tourist and sweet shops, which doesn’t reflect the street’s national significance. 

Then there is a harder problem: the near-daily closure of the Oxford Circus entrances at rush hour. With more people on foot, the pressure on that junction will only grow. 

The next few months are a test period, with permanent changes to follow. Seating, trees and signage are still being developed. That makes now exactly the right time to get them right. 

The opportunity is to tackle these issues together rather than one at a time. Mature planting and tree shade would make the street more comfortable and healthier, particularly in summer. Proper wayfinding, accessible entrances and plenty of seating would make it work for everyone, not just some. Space for culture and events would give people a reason to linger. 

Inclusion has to cover getting to the street as well as being on it. With bus stops and taxi ranks moving a short walk away, those few hundred metres matter to people with limited mobility. Their experience during the transition should shape what becomes permanent. 

Development has a part to play too. A more thoughtful mix of residential and commercial uses would build a sense of community and reduce the feeling of transience. Better-quality retail, more flexible building uses and more appealing shop fronts would make Oxford Street somewhere people choose to spend time. 

Our studio’s staff commute into this area, shop, eat and use its gyms and health services every day. Like thousands of other workers, they experience the street as a place, not a destination. Its future should prioritise that everyday use alongside tourism and passing trade. 

As architects, we know listening sits at the heart of good public consultation. That means hearing residents, businesses, landowners and community groups, and especially the voices that don’t often get heard. Our work on listed buildings in the area has shown us how carefully heritage, planning and everyday use have to be balanced on this street. 

Taking the traffic out of Oxford Street is a bold first step. If we use the space it creates for greening, inclusive design and genuine cultural space, it could become a street Londoners are proud of again, and one that people choose to stay in.