How London's Oxford Street was pedestrianised after years of failed attempts
London officials have successfully moved to pedestrianize Oxford Street by bypassing local council opposition through the creation of a development corporation. This move ends years of political gridlock regarding traffic management on the famous shopping street.
Why it matters
It demonstrates a significant shift in urban planning power, prioritizing mayoral authority over local council vetoes to achieve long-term infrastructure goals.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Traffic will be blocked from using a large part of Oxford Street
London transport and environment correspondent Published 24 October 2026, 08:03 BST On a bright, summer's day at City Hall in 2024, the mayor of London's senior advisers were in a room mulling over how to solve the most contentious of issues - getting vehicles off Oxford Street.
In the planning meeting, they were advocating a new approach.
The thorny issue of the pedestrianisation of London's most famous shopping street had foxed mayoral administrations for years.
Every time a new plan emerged, it was scrapped by Westminster Council, who owned the street and could be swayed by the marginal seats on either side of the debate.
Now the mayor's senior advisers were giving him another way he could end the impasse - using a development corporation.
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