Transforming Oxford’s Broad Street for pedestrians

Broad Street in Oxford is an iconic space, held dear by local people and visitors alike. Not only is it historically significant, but it is located near the heart of universities, workplaces, the central library and theatres, and the wider community in the city.

To date, Broad Street has been dominated by carriageways and parking, something that has evolved over time, but detracts from what is a unique setting, which people often visit to see and experience the picturesque architecture and character. 

In addition, it resulted in a lack of accessible public space for recreation and socialising, with increased congestion and pollution within a car-dominated location. It is clear, especially in cities, that there is a need for access to green areas, both for wellbeing and general health. 

Oxfordshire County Council made the decision to combat these issues, launching an 18-month experiment to redevelop Broad Street and release the two spaces of approximately 858sqm and 560sqm back to the public. Funding came from Oxfordshire County Council, with overarching support from the city council. The brief was to add plants and trees, places to relax and dine, room for events, cycling-friendly routes and parking only for those with disabilities.

Starting the project and what was involved 

Milestone was appointed as the transport consultant, who in turn commissioned AtkinsRéalis to progress the landscape/public realm design, something that had to reflect many crucial factors and utilised the skills of numerous AtkinsRéalis colleagues. 

David Fearon, Associate Landscape Architect at AtkinsRéalis was the Public Realm Design Lead. He was supported by Peter Heath, Adam Starkey and Jack Wakefield who helped with technical thinking, stakeholder engagement, the drawings to outline the measurements and angles of the planters, as well as the motif design that was used throughout. 

The temporary nature of the Broad Street scheme, and the fact that it had to balance effectiveness, yet demonstrate value for money, applied real pressure. It required extra thought and planning to take into account sustainability, mobility of each component, and what would best serve the public. Coupled with the sensitive location, original and decisive thought was vital to its successful delivery.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Highways Management said: “We need spaces where we can get together, enjoy each other’s company, visit the shops and cafes, and just enjoy this historic city space.

He continued: “The Broad Street project has created a vibrant new point of interest in the heart of a busy city, where people are meeting socially, stopping to enjoy the surroundings, and taking their lunch breaks. It has also become a popular stopping point in the city’s local walking tours – really helping underline its place on the map. I am delighted with its success and positivity.”

One of the most remarkable parts of this piece of work has been the timescales, taking just six months from inception to completion, including the consultation period. This began in May 2022 and the opening took place in October 2022 where the scheme in its current form will remain for 18 months. The statutory consultation period was extended to the end of July 2023 to allow for more feedback during the summer months. A Cabinet Member Decision Meeting will be held by the end of 2023, to seek a decision on the future of the current temporary scheme. 

The process

Any multidisciplinary project will involve extensive collaboration from beginning to end, a very detailed and multifaceted plan, and constant communication. 

David Fearon says: “We worked so well together. It was the only way it could get done within that time. Collaborative working has truly been a success and we’re really proud of that. We were an important part of a bigger machine.”

On a practical level, the challenge of creating appropriate areas for each requirement and making sure there was a fair and balanced division between pedestrians, cyclists, facilitating disabled parking bays, and the functions of the street was a jigsaw that necessitated expertise and negotiation. 

David, together with other AtkinsRéalis colleagues, started the process by looking at local inspiration to bring meaning to the design. Geometric shapes, linking to the mathematical history of Oxford and the local architecture of the Radcliffe Camera building in Oxford University, resulted in a honeycomb of hexagonal shapes that lent itself to the modular furniture shapes that were to be featured, and which could be used and manoeuvred individually or as a group or cluster. It felt natural, and didn’t compete with the local architecture, rather complementing it. 

David reflected: “There was a lot of consideration around the technical makeup of the project - establishing the angles of the planters, diagrammatic and the planting scheme that looked at plants throughout the seasons to be certain that there was greenery all year round. There was also the need to create sketches to show all stakeholders what our vision was. This was a real team effort and was thought through in great detail.”

Sustainability was at the top of the agenda, balancing cost with a quality final product - something outlined from the very start. This was partly navigated by carefully sourcing suppliers who could provide the best products, but have an agenda and processes that would fit in with the overall ethos. To make the planters, WoodBlocx, based in the highlands of Scotland were chosen for numerous reasons, including their Lego-style system, which created strong and durable planters to last beyond the length of the temporary scheme and withstand being moved around for events. In addition, all timber was sustainably sourced from local forests, assembled in-house, then delivered directly to Oxford. 

Oxford-based social enterprise RAW was another key partner, constructing the range of benches and seats. RAW’s workforce is made up of over 70% of individuals that have fought, and won, battles against life's greatest challenges such as addiction and homelessness. The result was a range of beautifully crafted, attractive, movable benches/seats.

Green technology was an important consideration to be embedded throughout; for example using drought-tolerant plant species, and irrigation tanks that reduce water usage. 

The results so far and future plans

As the end of the experiment nears, feedback has been largely positive, with interest from key stakeholders to see a more permanent version of the pedestrianisation zone. The results of monitoring the scheme which has taken place since it was first introduced will be reviewed, so it can be understood in detail how the space is being used by people walking and cycling, by people working in, living in or visiting the city, the ways it is benefiting local businesses, colleges and the related institutions, as well of course, the environmental impact. 

Any further work is subject to support and approvals that must be gained after engagement with all stakeholders via further consultation. It will also integrate well into the zero emission zone which covers the city centre and is part of the Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan.

Oxfordshire County Council is also currently preparing a movement and place framework for the Central Oxfordshire area, which will help with setting out a longer term vision for Broad Street and the surrounding area.

Delivery of the appropriate high quality permanent scheme is another major factor - ensuring that it enhances the historic setting, and provides value for money but still focuses on the elements that fed into the current layout. 

What is clear is that Broad Street now does justice to Oxford city centre and has potential that has united local people and visitors, with enhanced biodiversity. With the outstanding teamwork from all involved, the future brief for the permanent placemaking design options can draw on the success of the many lessons learned from the current temporary scheme.