AND THE WINNER IS...

...Selfridge's!

Ignore for a moment the exclusion of bikes*, 24/7, and TfL’s stated intention to enforce it, the most topical features of the pedestrianisation of London’s Oxford Street.

The 'artist's impressions' used to promote the scheme show an unbroken, sunlit, ribbon, thronged with shoppers.

Unfortunately, but necessarily, the use of 6 cross-streets, some no more than 75m apart, for general traffic, is continuing.

So the ‘pedestrianised street’ is actually 6 pedestrian ‘rooms’!

And each has to be protected along each cross-street: currently, with ‘Hostile Vehicle Mitigation’ (HVM) barriers and ramps, designed to stop vehicles, and deter bikes.

But only one 'room' has the scale and presence to support such a wide pedestrian street.: between Orchard Street and Duke Street, in front of Selfridges.

This space must surely be the whole point of the scheme?

A new public piazza to rival St Mark's in Rome!

This, when finished, will finally be the public realm to do justice to Daniel Burnham's stupendous 'temple of retailing'!

Personally, I think it fully justifies the rough edges and cut corners of the rather hasty, rushed, launch.

The other 'rooms'?

I hesitate to say this, but without the animation and colour of the buses they're really rather barren. It's surely all about window shopping, and in the centre of this very wide street you can't see what's in the windows!

Would the other Burnham's 'pragmatic approach' have worked better?

To find out we’re going to meet at Tottenham Court Road Station, and see that road, (itself now restricted to buses and bikes only, 0800-1900, Monday-Saturday), before making our way along the eastern half of Oxford Street (currently buses, taxis and bikes only, 0700-1900, Monday-Saturday).

We’ll see the evidence of the original residential use of the street in its surviving narrow, tall plot sizes, a few of which remain.

And the new generation of 2- and 3- storey shopfronts, designed for display, advertising and brand marketing, rather than promoting purchases.

This is a useful reference of the original public realm when shared with buses, taxis and bikes.

In the traffic-free zone the 'cross street challenges' become clear: suddenly, you have to resume 360° scanning to make sure you’re not whacked!

And those bikes?

I don't think they're going to be a problem.

During a recent survey, in the entire length, I saw only three incursions: a guy on a cargo bike heavily laden with packages, 2 tourists on 'Lime' bikes, who looked lost, and stopped in the middle of one of the 'rooms', and yes, one Deliveroo rider hurrying to his customer!

Personally I can’t wait to see, hear and feel, a full Symphony Orchestra, performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No 22, in front of Selfridges.

And if it's sponsored by 'Tfl in partnership with Puma'?

Welcome to capitalism!

We can discuss it over lunch afterwards at ‘The Grazing Goat’ PH in New Quebec Street.

Hope you can come!

Andy

*Emergency vehicles, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, kids’ bikes and pushchairs are exempt.
Delivery and servicing vehicles permitted 0000-0700hrs