Oxford Street Plans & Greening

Significant changes are underfoot in our neighbouring district of Oxford Street, with new greening projects along the street and plans unveiled last week to transform Oxford Circus into two pedestrian-friendly piazzas. We look forward to seeing these plans develop and will be advocating for the Quarter to make sure our area benefits from the changes, which will help enhance and revitalise central London for workers and visitors. The project is a partnership between Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate.

You can see an example of the new greening project at the junction of Old Quebec Street and Oxford Street, which includes planting as well as seating for workers and shoppers to improve the overall look and feel of the area and encourage dwell time. By prioritising people over vehicles, the changes also aim to improve the wider area’s air quality. The works on Oxford Circus are expected to reduce vehicle traffic and improve efficiency of bus journeys across the area, and will help the wider area take full advantage of the Elizabeth Line opening in 2022 by offering more space for pedestrians.

The new Oxford Circus plans will be delivered through a phased approach, starting with two ‘car free’ piazzas on Oxford Street, either end of the Circus, with a target delivery by the end of 2021.

The unveiling of these plans comes as the Marble Arch Mound nears opening. The Mound is scheduled to open in July and will bring visitors into the surrounding areas and benefiting local retail, hospitality and leisure venues. It will also offer an exciting activity for local workers to make the most of in their lunchtimes and after office hours. Marble Arch London BID have set up a livestream of the Mound’s construction, which you can view here.