PUBLIC REALM + STREET DESIGN |
Queen Street, Cornmarket Street, + Bonn Square | Oxfordshire County Council
Urban Movement (UM) has been commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council to lead the redesign of Bonn Square, Queen Street, and Cornmarket Street—a project aimed at revitalizing the public realm in Oxford's historic and commercial core. This commission, driven by the goals of the Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan (COTP) and the Central Oxfordshire Movement and Place Framework (COMPF), seeks to transform these bustling city centre streets into more welcoming, durable, and inclusive spaces.
Project Vision and Approach
The existing public spaces, while heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists, have suffered from piecemeal repairs, outdated street furniture, and a lack of consistent design. Urban Movement's project focuses on a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that brings together landscape architecture, urban design, transport planning, and highway engineering. The core of this methodology is to find a crucial balance between the function of movement and the quality of place, ensuring our designs are at the same time sympathetic to their surroundings, as well as durable and functional for a variety of uses and modes. This approach prioritizes placemaking and sustainable transport while also providing more clarity and safety for all users, including a specific focus on the needs of blind and partially sighted people.
The project's key objectives include:
The Role of the Streets in Oxford
Queen Street and Cornmarket Street are major pedestrian thoroughfares, with approximately 72,000 pedestrians and 4,000 cyclists passing through daily. These streets form a vital artery in the city's commercial and retail heart, connecting key areas and defining the character of the city centre. The project aims to enhance this role, not just as conduits for movement, but as destinations in their own right by reinforcing pedestrian priority and unlocking new public spaces, such as at Carfax Tower. By creating a more coherent and user-friendly streetscape, the design will improve the quality of life for those who live, work, and visit Oxford. The project also considers the streets' function within the broader context of Oxford's Zero Emission Zone, ensuring the final design supports the city's environmental goals.
Project Vision and Approach
The existing public spaces, while heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists, have suffered from piecemeal repairs, outdated street furniture, and a lack of consistent design. Urban Movement's project focuses on a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that brings together landscape architecture, urban design, transport planning, and highway engineering. The core of this methodology is to find a crucial balance between the function of movement and the quality of place, ensuring our designs are at the same time sympathetic to their surroundings, as well as durable and functional for a variety of uses and modes. This approach prioritizes placemaking and sustainable transport while also providing more clarity and safety for all users, including a specific focus on the needs of blind and partially sighted people.
The project's key objectives include:
- Public Realm Enhancement: Improving the aesthetics and durability of the streets, creating a more consistent and positive place identity.
- Accessibility and Safety: Enhancing the public space for all users, including the incorporation of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures and design elements that support people with disabilities.
- Economic Development: Creating a more attractive environment for businesses and tourists, which has been shown in previous UM projects to increase footfall and business turnover.
- Environmental Sustainability: Integrating greenery, sustainable materials, and bio-climatic design to address the climate emergency.
- Engagement: A collaborative process involving businesses, residents, and advocacy groups to shape the final design.
- Transport and Movement: Reorganizing street furniture and improving the pedestrian-cyclist experience, which includes addressing the potential lifting of the daytime cycling ban on Queen Street and Cornmarket Street.
The Role of the Streets in Oxford
Queen Street and Cornmarket Street are major pedestrian thoroughfares, with approximately 72,000 pedestrians and 4,000 cyclists passing through daily. These streets form a vital artery in the city's commercial and retail heart, connecting key areas and defining the character of the city centre. The project aims to enhance this role, not just as conduits for movement, but as destinations in their own right by reinforcing pedestrian priority and unlocking new public spaces, such as at Carfax Tower. By creating a more coherent and user-friendly streetscape, the design will improve the quality of life for those who live, work, and visit Oxford. The project also considers the streets' function within the broader context of Oxford's Zero Emission Zone, ensuring the final design supports the city's environmental goals.
