Part of London’s Oxford Street, Britain’s busiest shopping thoroughfare, went permanently traffic-free on Monday in an effort to revitalize the area and create a new public space to boost economic growth, reports BritPanorama.
An almost mile-long section is now closed to buses, cars, taxis, cycles, scooters and pedicabs, the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan said.
The move has been more than two decades in the making. This initiative and a wider regeneration project aim to put Oxford Street back among top global shopping destinations including New York’s Times Square, Paris’ Champs-Élysées and Barcelona’s La Rambla.
“After so many false dawns, and now working with a government that shares the scale of my ambition, I’m proud that we’re finally unlocking a new era for the street,” Khan said.
“Revitalizing Oxford Street will boost jobs and economic growth in the capital.”
Oxford Street, connected to Bond Street and Regent Street and home to John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Tiffany & Co and many others, has struggled since the Covid pandemic, with the arrival of U.S. candy stores putting off many shoppers.
