The historic pedestrianised street re-emerges as a model for sustainable city development.
It’s much more than another dining destination in London's crowded culinary landscape. As one of London's original pedestrianised streets, Bloomsbury’s Sicilian Avenue represents a broader transformation in how the capital approaches urban spaces, combining historical preservation with modern demands for car-free zones and quality dining experiences.
The Avenue has long demonstrated how pedestrian-friendly areas can enhance both resident and visitor experiences. Now, as London grapples with questions of sustainability, accessibility and changing work patterns, those principles are being embraced by a new generation of Londoners seeking sustainable, accessible spaces for work, dining, and socializing.
Research commissioned by Tristan Capital Partners reveals that 63% of visitors prefer restaurants and cafes in pedestrianised settings, with this preference spanning across generations. The data suggests this isn't a trend, but a fundamental shift in how people want to experience cities, with 71% of London's business community specifically seeking out pedestrianised dining venues.
“Our findings contribute to a growing evidence base, worldwide, that people have had enough of cars gobbling up space in cities,” says Alex Melligan, Director of Portfolio and Asset Management for Tristan Capital Partners. “Moreover, they send a strong signal to the food and beverage industry that tourists of all ages have a strong preference for eateries that aren’t situated on a major thoroughfare, where they can get away from the noise and pollution of the city to enjoy a meal or a drink.”
The avenue's restoration comes at a time when Department for Transport data shows 45% of British citizens support low traffic neighbourhoods, indicating growing public appetite for breathable, cleaner cities. This shift is particularly evident in how people use urban spaces for work and leisure, with the research showing that 19% of small businesses now regularly use restaurants and cafes as their primary workspaces.
Beyond its role as a dining destination, Sicilian Avenue's Grade II listed status and its location – a 10-minute walk from Tottenham Court Road Station and six minutes from The British Museum – positions it as a blueprint for how historical preservation can align with modern urban needs. The street serves 70,000 daily visitors, demonstrating how pedestrianised spaces can successfully balance high footfall with high-end work and leisure experiences.
The Avenue's revival suggests that the future of London's urban planning lies not in choosing between heritage and progress, but in finding ways to merge both. As cities worldwide grapple with similar challenges of modernization and preservation, Sicilian Avenue offers a vision of how historical pedestrianised spaces can meet contemporary urban needs while maintaining their historical character.