00:00This is a momentous day for Oxford Street, but also for London.
00:04Look, it's really important that we support our fantastic retail.
00:07It's really important we recognise the challenges they face,
00:10not just decades of decline, but also the competition from online shopping,
00:14from out-of-town centre shopping malls.
00:16I want to be supporting our shops in Oxford Street
00:19and having a kilometre worth of this street, almost half of this street,
00:23traffic-free forever, means more space, it's safer.
00:26And in advance of Christmas, you want people to come here and shop
00:30and enjoy the experience.
00:32Oxford Street is one of the world's busiest shopping areas,
00:35with around half a million visitors each day,
00:39while the pedestrianisation comes in time for the street's busy Christmas period.
00:45Buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, private cars, cycles, scooters and pedicabs
00:51can no longer enter.
00:53While deliveries can still be made from midnight until 7am.
00:57The area has become increasingly popular as an office location thanks to the Elizabeth Line,
01:03and Sadiq Khan believes the scheme will help revitalise the site,
01:07boost economic growth and attract visitors.
01:11It is expected that eventually Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road will be fully pedestrianised.
01:17The move marks the first phase of a pedestrianisation and wider regeneration project,
01:22aimed at putting Oxford Street among the top global shopping destinations,
01:27including Times Square in New York, the Champs-Élysées in Paris and La Rambla in Barcelona.
01:35Critics have said the scheme is too rushed,
01:37and fears have been raised about diversified traffic increasing congestion.
01:41I fully understand people's concerns about change.
01:44I understand people's concerns who are disabled,
01:47those who have got issues around accessibility.
01:49We are listening, we are adapting, we are learning.
01:51So we've made sure, for example, when it comes to the architects and the designers,
01:55they've got built-in expertise when it comes to accessibility, disability issues.
02:00We've made sure, for example, the cab ranks are nearby,
02:04the bus stops are nearby,
02:06there's access north and south to this street,
02:09there's disabled parking nearby.
02:11One of the complaints people have is the lack of places to rest,
02:15so we'll make sure there's more seating.
02:17Listen, London doesn't want to be as good as other places in the world who are going to be better.
02:21I don't apologise for that at all.
02:22But when I see other cities, how they've managed to keep retail going,
02:27there's stuff we can learn from them.
02:28Stuff to avoid doing what they've done,
02:29stuff to learn what they've done.
02:31So you look at, for example, other parts of the world,
02:32whether it's Copenhagen, whether it's Barcelona, whether it's Paris,
02:36whether it's New York, they've tried things.
02:38Some have worked, some haven't worked.
02:39So we've spoken to colleagues in those respective cities,
02:43recognising, though, that retail now is really challenging
02:46because shops are competing with those shopping online,
02:49shops are competing with those, you know, in covered shopping walls.
02:53We've got a choice.
02:54We either allow the status quo to carry on and a further decline,
02:57or we support Street Slags for Street.
