It is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world.
But London’s Oxford Street could look very different by 2026 – if Sadiq Khan’s new plans are approved.
The Labour mayor sparked a major row today after the government gave him new powers to push through a £150m pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.
Mr Khan wants work to start within two years to ban all vehicles from the famous shopping street, despite warnings it could become a crime-ridden no-go area.
What would a car-free Oxford Street look like? MailOnline asked AI for its predictions.
What would a car-free Oxford Street look like? MailOnline asked AI for its predictions
We asked ChatGPT to create an image of a pedestrian street in Oxford.
Our task to the bot was simple: ‘Create an image of what Oxford Street in London would look like if it were a pedestrian zone.’
The ChatGPT image shows a central cobbled embankment running down the middle of Oxford Street, with cycle lanes on either side.
This central bank and the sidewalks are lined with trees, chairs and tables, where people can eat outside.
Mr Khan has also published a rendering of what a pedestrianised street on Oxford Street could look like.
Mr Khan has also published an impression of what a pedestrian street in Oxford could look like
The proposal is part of a wider regeneration project which Deputy First Minister Angela Rayner claims will give the popular shopping area ‘the boost it needs’.
Unlike ChatGPT’s image, Mr Khan’s image does not show any cyclists. Further details on the plans for cycling are still awaited.
The proposal is part of a wider regeneration project which Deputy First Minister Angela Rayner claims will give the popular shopping area ‘the boost it needs’.
However, industry leaders are calling for “strong security measures” to accompany the plans, amid fears it could lead to an increase in crime such as shoplifting and pickpocketing.
There are calls for more ‘adequate policing’ and better access to public transport. Night owls, especially women, may be at greater risk because there is no traffic. Regular buses and taxis can act as a deterrent to criminal activity.
Another impression of a pedestrian area on Oxford Street, based on plans released in 2017
Oxford Street has suffered from the departure of big names in recent years, leaving only boarded-up shop fronts and a proliferation of tacky American sweet shops. But there are hopes that the area will finally be revived with the reopening of HMV and the arrival of a new Ikea.
The plan aims to improve one of the world’s busiest shopping areas for workers, residents, shoppers and tourists in an area that attracts approximately 500,000 visitors daily.
Mr Khan wants to pedestrianise a 1.1km stretch between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, with the possibility of further development towards Tottenham Court Road.
But the redevelopment will require the removal or rerouting of 16 bus routes, including the 98 and 390 which run the full length of Oxford Street.
The mayor hopes to revive plans for a “car-free pedestrian street” similar to Times Square in New York, the Champs-Elysees in Paris and Las Ramblas in Barcelona.