London's mayor has unveiled a bold plan to help revitalize one of the city's most recognizable streets and make it more welcoming to visitors from around the world.
According to the BBC, Sir Sadiq Khan plans to pedestrianize parts of Oxford Street "as quickly as possible" in an effort to bring people back to the iconic high street in the English capital.
Vehicles would be banned along a 0.7-mile stretch of the shopping district, between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch. The vehicle ban could potentially extend even further than that.
"We want to rejuvenate Oxford Street; establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events with a world-class, accessible, pedestrianised avenue," Khan said. "This will help to attract more international visitors and act as a magnet for new investment and job creation, driving growth and economic prosperity for decades to come."
Oxford Street is one of the world's busiest, with over half a million visitors on average each day. It contributes massively to the city's congestion problem with the amount of traffic it sees. Closing it down would make it safer for pedestrians and shoppers and offer much-needed green space in the heart of London.
Pedestrianization can have massive benefits for cities; it reduces pollution, makes streets safer for people walking and biking, and it can entice them to shop and spend more, boosting the local economy, while also providing versatile green space that can serve as event space and areas to eat in.
However, Khan's audacious plan faces opposition from many accessibility advocacy groups, who claim that no plan for helping those with disabilities access the space has been presented yet. Tim Lord of the Soho Society also expressed trepidation.
"No convincing plan has ever been presented; London is already a very slow city and will get worse," Lord said.
Despite these concerns, removing cars from the heart of London could go a long way toward reducing pollution and creating a safer, healthier city for pedestrians in one of the most popular destinations on Earth.
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