In brief

• London closes a roughly one-kilometre section of Oxford Street to all vehicles from Monday.
• The city plans to extend the closed zone later and add more than 50 trees and seating by spring 2027.
• Officials hope the scheme will restore the street's status among major global shopping destinations.

Traffic ban takes effect on the first stretch

Traffic will be redirected onto neighbouring roads, and the closed section is to be extended later (Oxford Street in London wird zur Fußgängerzone – tagesschau.de) (Wirtschaftswachstum: Londoner Oxford Street soll Fußgängerzone werden – ZEIT ONLINE).

Shopping street seeks to regain its standing

Oxford Street still draws about 500,000 visitors a day, with more at peak periods such as Christmas. Shoppers move between large retailers including Selfridges, Zara and John Lewis (‘It’s a new era’: London’s Oxford street will close to cars, buses, and bikes in attempt to bring back glory days of shopping district – Fortune). Officials say the street has lost some of its appeal: several premises stand empty, and discount and souvenir shops have spread along it.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the day as a new era for the street. The city expects the change to attract more visitors, create jobs and support growth (Umbau zur Fußgängerzone: London verbannt Autos aus der Oxford Street – DER SPIEGEL).

Plans for trees and public space

The project includes planting more than 50 trees and installing seating and benches in the new zone by spring 2027. Two new public squares are also part of the plan. Until now, a ban applied only from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, with exemptions for buses and taxis.

Local opposition and comparisons

Local officials discussed the idea for more than a decade. Momentum grew over the past two years after the mayor's office set up a development corporation to run the project. Residents had argued that diverting traffic would clog nearby streets.

Context

The conversion is one of the largest pedestrianisation schemes in the British capital. Its effects on trade and traffic in nearby streets will become clearer as the works continue (La calle comercial más famosa de Londres prohíbe el tráfico para revitalizar su actividad – Expansión) (Oxford Street’s pedestrian revolution is finally here – Financial Times).