City Hall appoints world-leading design talent to support delivery of Mayor’s transformative Oxford Street regeneration plans
- Architecture practices East and Hawkins/Brown have been appointed to lead design and support delivery of the Mayor’s bold proposals to transform Oxford Street
- Firms will bring on board talented specialists with experience in major projects including New York’s Times Square, London’s Bond Street and Sydney’s Darling Square
- The Mayor is moving ahead with next steps to supercharge regeneration and is working with government to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation by 1 January 2026
City Hall has appointed two world-class design teams to work together on the design and delivery of Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s transformative and ambitious plans to regenerate Oxford Street and unlock its true potential [1].
These teams will bring on board talented experts, who together have a wealth of experience on globally renowned projects including Times Square in New York, George Street in Sydney, London’s Bond Street and the Here East development in Stratford.
Following a tender process [2], award winning London based architecture and landscape practice East were chosen to lead the design of the first phase of the Oxford Street Transformation Programme between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. Having delivered nearly 30 high street projects in London over the last 25 years, the team is experienced in working with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and local authorities across the capital.
The second practice, Hawkins/Brown, is an internationally-renowned studio of over 250 award-winning architects, interior designers, urban designers and researchers. They will prepare a Whole Street Concept Design for the full length of Oxford Street from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road, using expertise and learnings from notable projects including the Here East development and transforming Smithfield in the City of London into a world-class 24-hour cultural destination.
While both teams were drawn from the Mayor's Architecture and Urbanism Framework [3] – which works to support the Mayor’s mission to create a better, greener and more sustainable London for all – they will bring on board additional expertise from relevant specialists both within the UK and internationally [4].
One of the subconsultants supporting East is global urban strategy and design consultancy Gehl. Having worked on world-leading projects like George Street in Sydney and Times Square, Gehl will bring invaluable knowledge and lessons learned to Oxford Street.
Times Square and its surrounding areas have been comprehensively regenerated since 2009 to create a series of new and enhanced spaces to walk, sit, and cycle, transforming it from one of New York’s most notoriously congested spaces into a world-class civic space that has boosted economic activity and improved safety. City Hall has worked closely with former New York Transport Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and the pro-bono Bloomberg Associates, a part of Bloomberg Philanthropies, throughout the development of the programme.
Also supporting East is London-based design firm Publica, a renowned research and urban design practice that has been working in and around Oxford Street over the last 15 years. Publica won a New London Architecture award for its revitalisation of Bond Street, which focused on pedestrians, enhancing the street’s character and celebrating its heritage to create a better public space for everyone. Acclaimed landscape practice J&L Gibbons is also joining the team, bringing their expertise from major projects like the National History Museum garden transformation.
Landscape practice Aspect Studio, who were involved in the Darling Quarter and Darling Square developments in Sydney, will work alongside Hawkins/Brown.
The design programme will include proposals for a high-quality scheme for the east of Oxford circus which incorporates existing progress and delivers improvements in line with the principles previously brought forward by Westminster City Council, so that bus travel will continue along the eastern section of Oxford Street. The programme will deliver a coherent design framework for the length of Oxford Street.
Oxford Street is an area of critical national economic importance, with an estimated annual contribution of £25bn to London’s economy – but it has suffered over many years for a variety of reasons, from the pandemic to the growth of online shopping and retail parks. [5]
Following the overwhelmingly positive response from Londoners supporting the idea of pedestrianising Oxford Street [6], the Mayor is moving ahead quickly to super charge regeneration in the area, improve visitor experience and better enable new leisure offers, such as al fresco dining and outdoor events.
Detailed traffic and highway proposals are being developed which could pedestrianise the section of road between Orchard Street and Oxford Circus up to Great Portland Street – almost a mile of one of London’s most iconic high streets. These will be consulted on later this year.
The Mayor has asked the Secretary of State to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) dedicated to regenerating the area and ultimately making Oxford Street a world-leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events. Following consideration by the London Assembly in July 2025, the Mayor is working with Government to get the MDC established by 1 January 2026.
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “These outstanding design teams bring a wealth of experience on world-renowned projects, from New York’s Times Square and Sydney’s Darling Square to the Bond Street revamp and Here East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. They have the creativity and expertise needed to reimagine one of London’s most iconic high streets and help deliver the Mayor's bold and ambitious Oxford Street Transformation Programme. We can’t wait to work with them on this fast-paced project, creating a world-class destination for shopping and dining that truly competes on the world stage as we continue working to build a better, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Julian Lewis, Director of East, said: “East is committed to enhancing people’s experience of urban environments, and Oxford Street is a vital public place in the heart of London which, in many ways, epitomises the city itself. East is rooted in London and we are excited and honoured to have been selected by the Mayor and his team to lead the transformation of this iconic street to create a world class public space.”
Darryl Chen, Partner, Hawkins/Brown, said: “We love Oxford Street and feel immensely privileged to be a part of its transformation. With the Mayor's ambitions coinciding with the changing face of retail, the stage is set for the next act in Oxford Street's famous story. That's a very, very exciting prospect!”
Janette Sadik-Khan, who led the pedestrianization and reconstruction of Broadway through Times Square in New York City, and who now helps cities around the world to implement transformative projects with Bloomberg Associates. “It will take a dream team to reimagine London’s commercial and social heart for a new era,” said: “The selection of these prestigious firms is a bold step toward regenerating one of the world’s great streets—and preserving its historical role as a place for Londoners and visitors to visit, walk, shop and gather.”
Notes to editor
[1] (Note that progressing with pedestrianisation is subject to further consultation. This design work should not be seen to pre-empt any decisions about the proposals for consultation.)
[2] As part of the tender process, design teams submitted bids to work on the design of the Mayor’s Oxford Street Transformation Programme
Objectives of the urban realm changes on Oxford Street:
1) The curation of the retail and leisure offer, including the promotion of Oxford Street as a world-leading visitor destination for shopping, leisure, and outdoor events.
2) The development of an attractive and inclusive space that welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds, that can also be successfully utilised for commercial activation.
3) The provision of a high-quality, safe, sustainable, and climate-resilient public realm.
[4] Design Lead: East Architecture and Landscape
Subconsultants
- Gehl
- Publica
- J&L Gibbons
- NRP
- MF Conway
- 59 Studio
- Etude
- Temple
Design lead: Hawkins Brown
Subconsultants
- ASPECT Studio
- Urban Movement
- Micheal Grubb Studio
- Authentic Futures
[5] The ONS estimates on UK small area gross value added (GVA), 2021 (latest available data)
[6] The consultation can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/oxford-street.
Between 28 February and 2 May 2025, the Greater London Authority consulted Londoners on two questions related to Oxford Street: the designation of a Mayoral Development Area (MDA) and the principle of pedestrianising Oxford Street. The consultation was widely publicised to statutory consultees, local stakeholders, Londoners and other interested parties throughout this period.
The consultation received 6,642 submissions from a wide range of respondents across Greater London and beyond. These included statutory consultees, individuals, residents' associations, businesses, trade unions, trade bodies, active travel groups, and accessibility organisations.
On the question of designating an MDA, 69 per cent supported the proposal, of those who responded on this topic. On the principle of pedestrianisation, 66 per cent were in support, of those who responded on this topic. This does not include those who responded with boilerplate text through campaigns. If all campaigns are included, the MDA support rises to 70 per cent and the pedestrianisation support rises to 67 per cent.
Following the redesignation in September of Oxford Street, from Marble Arch to the western arm of the junction with Tottenham Court Road, as a Greater London Authority road, the Mayor will continue working closely with the Council, TfL and other partners to develop detailed traffic and highways proposals for the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. A further public consultation on these plans will be carried out later this year.