MSc Real Estate: Looking at Oxford

The second of the MSc Real Estate field trips in the first week was the walking tour of Oxford organised by Nick French (leader of the MSc Real Estate) on Friday 18 September. This year, the blog report focuses on some of the things that the students were asked to look at including: the main shopping streets, the shopping centres, empty shops, bus station and Gloucester Green, the covered market and the type and location of shops. Oxford may be 'the city of dreaming spires' but it is a lot more besides - photos by the Ed.

The walking tour of Oxford which was accompanied by the 'Oxford Property Market Questionnaire' - the purpose of which was to make the students more familiar with the centre of Oxford and also to equip the students with the relevant information about the city that they would need to construct a group presentation on the property market in Oxford for the following week. As Nick mentioned in his introduction to the walking tour - much of the information could be found using Google, but Googling is no replacement for actually getting out there and looking. Observation is an important skill for future surveyors as is looking up. Which he encouraged the students to do a lot of.

If you do look up, you see things like this sculpture by Antony Gormley (Broad Street)

The streets of Oxford (clockwise from top: middle of Cornmarket, top of Cornmarket, the corner of George Street,
lower end of Cornmarket and George Street 

The Westgate (left) and Clarendon (right). Oxford's shopping centres. The Westgate is currently undergoing a major redevelopment - read more about it here: the redevelopment of Westgate 

Empty shops. A feature of many UK high streets and city centres

Queen Street and the eating places based there.
Queen Street is a pedestrianised street which features slow moving buses. Watch your back!

Gloucester Green (shopping area and site of a weekly market) and the Oxford bus station. The bus station may be relocated over the next few years as part of the Oxford Station Masterplan

Turl Street and the Oxford Covered Market. Home to lots of independent shops and cafes

Nick French. Waiting...

...for a late lunch at Wagamama

Nick also asked the students to estimate the footfall in various locations during 10 minute periods. This is my version taken on Cornmarket Street:

For more information on the MSc Real Estate, either take a look at the MSc Real Estate tab on this blog, or visit the MSc Real Estate webpage.