Oxford Street Pedestrianisation and Greening

We are immensely proud to be leading the design and delivery of the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street – one of the most transformative urban space projects to take place in the capital for decades. East are leading an international team to deliver the first phase of the pedestrianisation on the iconic stretch of street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, including the landmarks of Oxford Circus and Selfridges.

Our remit covers the physical infrastructure of the street: footways, lighting, seating, kiosks and greening, alongside the essential traffic signals, crossings and more required for a safe, functional public realm. We will also work on transitional aspects of the wider street that spans from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road.

Oxford Street is a vital public place in the heart of London which, in many ways, epitomises the city itself. Today, life in the city is changing – shifting from a place where people quickly shop and leave to one designed to encourage people to meet and linger. Reflecting on the transition from one use pattern to another, we are implementing a phased approach: temporary seating will allow us to monitor and assess real-world activity, while trees and plant life will be introduced in pots before being permanently planted in the ground.

Virginia Woolf’s essay ‘Oxford Street Tide’ informs our spatial strategy: “The garishness and gaudiness of the great rolling ribbon of Oxford Street has its fascination. It is like the pebbly bed of a river whose stones are forever washed by a bright stream”. We believe strongly that the precision of architecture becomes most interesting when it meets the constraints of the everyday city.