Part of London's shopping street Oxford Street is now a pedestrian zone

Oxford Street in London has become car-free to enhance pedestrian appeal, with cyclists, taxis, and buses also banned from a nearly 1-kilometer stretch. Residents worry this will increase traffic in surrounding neighborhoods and affect accessibility for those with disabilities. The pedestrian zone is part of a larger £133 million renovation plan, including new trees and public squares. Local authorities anticipate the changes will generate nearly £100 million and create 700 jobs, though critics question these projections. The initiative, supported by Mayor Sadiq Khan, aims to improve shopping experiences ahead of Christmas. Oxford Street, a historic route dating back to Roman times, attracts around half a million visitors daily, significantly more than Paris's Champs-Élysées.