“We have made Oxford Street a car-free place. But this is just the beginning. Soon, we will also create green spaces for art and music.” On that same Monday, October 26, 2026, two significant urban policy changes occurred simultaneously: London made its Oxford Street a car-free zone, and Seoul converted its Jamsil Bridge into a pedestrian-only walkway.
In London, a 1-kilometer section of Oxford Street, between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, was closed to vehicles. This major commercial street, home to department stores like John Lewis, Selfridges, and Marks & Spencer, and brands including IKEA, Nike, and Adidas, contributes 5% of London’s regional gross domestic product and 1% of the UK’s GDP. The London Mayor’s office stated the project will cost £150 million (approximately 270 billion won) and plans to level the road with the pavements, plant 50 trees, and add 100 benches by spring 2027. A final redesign for a complete pedestrian street is scheduled for 2028. The proposal to pedestrianize Oxford Street was first made in 2004 in a report by urban planner Jan Gehl and was revived by Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2016. After facing opposition from various groups, Khan successfully garnered 60-70% public support, leading to the policy’s official announcement in February 2026.
Seoul’s First Pedestrian-Only Bridge
On the same day, Seoul’s Jamsil Bridge became the city’s first dedicated pedestrian bridge over the Han River. The bridge, which has four vehicle lanes, has been entirely converted into a pedestrian and bicycle space. The 18-meter-wide bridge now features a 4-meter bike lane and a 14-meter pedestrian walkway, with an additional 10-meter viewing space on each side. A transparent floor has been installed in a section raised to allow boats to pass underneath, offering a view of the river below. Jamsil Bridge, opened in 1976, is the shortest and lowest of Seoul’s Han River bridges at 795 meters long and 2.7 meters above the water level.
A Shift in Urban Paradigm
Park Yong-nam, head of the Sustainable Urban Research Center, evaluated the London policy as a shift from a car-centric to a pedestrian-centric paradigm in a major global city, which will influence other urban areas. Kim Eun-hee, the head of the Walkable City Citizens' Alliance, emphasized that creating a pedestrian zone on a main street in the city center will help expand pedestrian networks to surrounding streets.
A Deliberate Approach to Public Space
The Seoul metropolitan government plans to complete the 25.6 billion won project to convert Jamsil Bridge by August 2027. Experts have advised against rushing to install facilities and instead to observe public activities first. Kim Eun-hee echoed this, stating that the city need not spend money to artificially create events, as citizens will utilize the space sufficiently with support. Kim Kwang-il, the head of the Green Transportation Movement, said that while citizen groups have long advocated for pedestrian and bicycle policies in Korea, they have recently seen a decline. He expressed hope that the pedestrianization of Oxford Street and Jamsil Bridge will serve as a new turning point.
