Public realm
Creating a lasting legacy for the West End
The West End is a long term driver of economic activity and critical to London’s success as a world city.
In 2012 the eyes of the world will be firmly focused on London. The West End will be the place where most Olympic visitors will stay, shop, dine and enjoy cultural entertainments. We need, therefore, to ensure the West End lives up to its world class reputation as a tourist, retail and business location.
We must make central London as attractive and welcoming as possible, using the Olympics to sharpen the focus on maximising the capital’s ‘visitor experience’.
Key pre-2012 initiatives to improve London include:
• improving public realm
• improving public wayfinding
• addressing traffic congestion in Oxford Street and Regent Street
West End Streets taskforce
London First has set up a West End Streets taskforce, chaired by Grosvenor Chief Executive Peter Vernon and consisting of key private and public sector stakeholders. The group has developed a clearly prioritised action plan, and works to improve communication and accelerate delivery of a number of key projects, alongside its support for a range of smaller projects, vital to the health of the West End.
Key projects:
Legible London – we support the central London (zone 1) roll out of the new, streamlined pedestrian signage system to help people walk around the capital
Piccadilly – we helped secure the £14m pedestrian-friendly revamp of Piccadilly, ahead of 2012
Leicester Square – we support plans to improve this famous landmark and entertainment centre
For more information on our project to improve the West End please contact Rob Fox.
