A nearly one-kilometre section of London’s Oxford Street, between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, has become car-free. Cyclists, taxis and buses are also being diverted to surrounding streets. The change is intended to make one of the world’s busiest shopping streets more attractive to pedestrians, but local residents have raised concerns about increased traffic in nearby residential areas and accessibility for people with disabilities or limited mobility.

The pedestrian zone is the first stage of a wider renovation planned for the shopping area. Trees and seating are due to be added next year, along with two new public squares, at a total cost of more than €133 million. Local authorities expect the car-free section to generate almost €100 million and create 700 additional jobs, although critics have questioned the basis for those estimates. Oxford Street receives about half a million visitors a day and is visited by shoppers who spend a reported €3.7 billion there each year.