GLA Seeks Design Teams for Oxford Street Transformation and Pedestrianisation

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has launched a search for two specialist design teams to lead the upcoming transformation of Oxford Street, including long-debated pedestrianisation plans. The move signals a major step forward in City Hall’s vision to reimagine what is often referred to as the “nation’s shopping street.”

Two Design Roles at the Heart of the Project

The GLA intends to appoint one design team to take charge of the first phase of the Oxford Street Transformation Programme. This will cover nearly a mile of the street, stretching between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, and will involve preparing detailed public realm proposals for one of the most high-profile stretches in central London.

A second team will develop a wider concept design for the full length of Oxford Street, from Marble Arch in the west to Tottenham Court Road in the east. Together, the two commissions will shape how the street functions as both a retail hub and a civic space in the years ahead.

While the design contracts will be drawn from the Mayor of London’s Architecture and Urbanism Framework, City Hall has encouraged bidders to assemble multi-disciplinary teams that bring in additional expertise, both from within the UK and internationally. The exact fee structure has not been disclosed but is understood not to be subject to a fixed cap.

Consultation and Political Backing

This tender follows last year’s consultation on traffic changes and pedestrianisation, as well as on proposals to create a mayoral development corporation to oversee delivery. According to City Hall, almost 70% of respondents supported the overall plans, with two-thirds specifically in favour of pedestrianising Oxford Street.

Communities Secretary Angela Rayner is expected to approve the creation of the development corporation later this year, paving the way for it to be formally established in January 2026.

The latest initiative marks a sharp contrast with 2018, when Westminster City Council, under its former Conservative leadership, blocked similar pedestrianisation proposals. The current political climate, however, appears more favourable to bold public realm change.

Broader Moves in Central London

The Oxford Street programme is not the only large-scale streetscape project under way in the West End. Westminster City Council has separately unveiled an Allies and Morrison-designed masterplan to reconfigure much of Piccadilly and Haymarket.

That scheme would restrict vehicles from several key streets branching off Regent Street, deliver new walking and cycling connections from Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square, and introduce substantial greening. In total, the masterplan promises around 35,000m² of new pedestrian and cycle-friendly public realm — an area roughly equivalent to five football pitches.

Reimagining the West End

Taken together, these initiatives suggest a radical rethinking of central London’s public spaces. For Oxford Street, the transformation will be closely watched across Europe as a test case for balancing commercial vitality, tourism, and the push towards cleaner, people-first city streets.