A major public-realm transformation for one of London’s most prominent retail streets, with new visuals published shortly before the first traffic-free phase begins.
Oxford Street, London, United Kingdom; approximately 1 km between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.
About this story
East is leading the design of the first phase of Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation for the Oxford Street Development Corporation. The approximately 1 km section runs between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. East names J&L Gibbons, Gehl, Publica, Etude and NRP (Norman Rourke Pryme) as design collaborators. East says traffic removal is the beginning of a phased process, with new seating, public spaces and trees planned by spring 2027 and feedback from Londoners informing subsequent stages. The development corporation says vehicles, including buses and taxis, will be diverted to nearby roads and that the initial public-space changes are temporary. The selected Dezeen report describes the release as updated images; East’s official project post calls them its first images. Personal design credits were not identified in the inspected primary material.
Status and timeline
East published project images in October 2026. Traffic is scheduled to be removed from this section on 2026-10-26. New seating, public spaces and trees are planned to be in place by spring 2027; the initial public-realm changes are temporary and will be tested and reviewed with Londoners.
Design highlights
Temporary pedestrian-first public realm; images show tree planters and seating within the vehicle-free street. The announced next-stage improvements include public spaces, rest areas, trees and clearer signage, with user feedback intended to inform future changes.
Important dates
· Traffic free phase begins · Details
