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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Rachael Burford

Regent Street's grand European-inspired makeover to prioritise cyclists and pedestrians

An overhaul of London's Regent Street will take inspiration from Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Seville as well as some of Europe’s most famous shopping streets, it was announced on Tuesday.

Westminster Council and The Crown Estate have unveiled their "Regent Street Public Realm Vision", which includes plans to reduce traffic to make way for more cyclists and pedestrians.

Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket and parts of Pall Mall will also be upgraded as part of the project.

Cycling-friendly European cities, as well the Champs-Élysées in Paris, La Rambla in Barcelona and Mariahilfer Strasse in Vienna, are being used as inspiration for designs.

The council said the "ultimate ambition" is to create a "new green link through the heart of the West End" that connects St James’s Park to Regent’s Park.

"This would emphasise and reimagine the famous architect John Nash's 'park-to-park' connection, set out over 200 years ago," a spokesman said.

The mayor of Paris agreed to turn the Champs-Élysées into “an extraordinary garden

Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management and air quality, added: "The Regent Street Public Realm Vision report represents a commitment to a more vibrant, sustainable and inclusive urban environment.

"We’ve worked extensively with members of the public to shape a vision that is based on what they want to see."

On Monday night the town hall signed off the first round of funding for the project, which will be split between the council and The Crown Estate.

Simon Harding-Roots, from The Crown Estate, said: "This report brings us a step closer to realising our collective ambitions for this historic street."

It follows a major overhaul of Oxford Street which was given the green light last year. Plans to reduce traffic and increase space for visitors in the world famous shopping district are now underway.

Westminster Council hopes the revamp will improve the area after it became blighted by American-style sweet shops.

The first public engagement workshops for the Regent Street, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus upgrades were held between July and October 2023, and saw some 3,500 people take part.

Designs are due to be presented next year.

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