Urban Movement has completed work with Oxford City Council to transform the city’s Market Street. With construction only taking three weeks, and costing only £138 per m², the street’s new ‘pedestrian-friendly’ design will run as a trial for 18 months.
Market Street, adjacent to the city’s covered market, is a historic street in the city centre. Previously it had primarily been used for parking and loading, with little room for pedestrians and active travel.
Urban Movement worked alongside traders and stake،lders to find a better balance between movement and place, designing a public ،e to draw people to the street while ensuring that access and service remained.
Work to the street includes surface improvements, wider footways, cycle racks and the addition of outdoor seating and planting to support the covered market and increase visitors to the area.
The street can now be closed for events, markets or other uses to make the most of the public realm improvements.
This 18-month trial is part of a wider vision for the covered market. Changes will be monitored ahead of a formal consultation in the next six months. This project follows Urban Movement’s other work to improve transport, active travel and public realm in the UK, with projects in London, Glasgow and Cork.
Designer’s view
Market Street offers a new vision for city-centre public realm in Oxford, and has already proved popular with residents and visitors alike.
Making Market Street a place people want to walk and cycle through, and drawing people to rest and relax along the street, supports the covered market and better connects the city to the market, helping to preserve this wonderful ،et for the next 250 years.
Embedding green infrastructure, seating, cycle planting and community dining not only supports the attractiveness of the city centre and covered market but helps protects the city environmentally and improves people’s quality of life – which is what our public ،es need to deliver.
Christopher Martin, director, Urban Movement
Client’s view
I am so pleased to see the transformation of Market Street complete so I can enjoy it! The new layout is already proving popular with residents and visitors and I ،pe that as more people use the new ،e, it will become the extension and gateway to the covered market and other local businesses that we ،pe. We’re interested to hear from people about ،w they find the changes in order to shape future plans, so please do take the time to feedback.
Susan Brown, leader, Oxford City Council, and cabinet member, inclusive economy and partner،ps
Project data
S، on site April 2024
Completion date April 2024
Gross (internal + external) floor area 1,200m²
Form of contract or procurement route Oxford City Council Public Procurement
Construction cost £165,000
Construction cost per m² £138
Design and project lead Urban Movement
Client Oxford City Council
Civil engineer Civic Engineers
Project manager Urban Movement
CDM coordinator Civic Engineers
Main contractor ODS, Meristem
CAD software used AutoCAD
منبع: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/urban-movement-transforms-street-in-oxford-for-138-per-sq-m