[7] Until the beginning of the 19th century, only the side of the island east of St Thomas's Church was developed.

In the 1860s New Osney was developed around Mill Street, south of Botley Road between the railway and the river.

Most of Osney's two hundred-odd households live in 19th-century terraced cottages built on Hester's original grid.

A minority of buildings are less than 50 years old, all on Bridge and West Streets, as well as a few significantly larger houses scattered throughout.

[9] The estate was initially intended to relocate badly sited existing local businesses.

Bodleian Libraries and the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford occupy buildings at the southeastern end of Osney Mead.

Newspaper House was designed by Arup Associates with mostly open plan Bürolandschaft offices and built 1970–72.