Urban planning like looking in a crystal ball

In June 2003 at the first-ever Montreal Summit, the urban-plan wheel was put in motion for the new mega-city. November 23, 2004 saw the plan's adoption and in July 2005, it was awarded a recognition of excellence from the Canadian Urban Planning Institute.

Since then, many different phases of the plan, such as the upgrading of Décarie Boulevard, have been undertaken. Others, like the extension of Cavendish Boulevard to Henri-Bourassa should start soon. Other larger-scale projects are also in the works. Complete makeovers for the Décarie Circle, as well as the Marcel-Laurin interchange, are also slated. Add new residential developments in the Bois-Franc and Nouveau Saint-Laurent sectors and the expansion of the Technoparc, and St. Laurent's future will be revealed in just a couple of years. What then?

According to the Francois Guignard, former urban-planning director for the city of St. Laurent and current member of the borough's urban-planning committee, "it's time to return to the centre."

Guignard, who has 27 years of experience and had a major hand in many current projects, said St. Laurent must go back to its roots.

"The identity of the community has gotten away from its roots and it's for that reason, [the borough] must return to its base," he said.

In St. Laurent's case, the roots Guignard is talking about rest firmly in the "metro corridor," as he calls it -- the neighbourhood between the Côte-Vertu and Du Collège metro stations, adding the Décarie project is a good start. After the work is finished, a program to help improve the look of commercial facades will eventually begin, added Claude Charette, director of urban planning and business services.

Current urban-planning division manager for the borough Éric Paquet added the 'urban foliage' plan that will accompany, among others, the Décarie project, will improve the look of the borough's landscape.

"We're also going to bury electric and telephone lines underground, which has already been done on most of our major roads," he said.

The borough's business centre, situated between the Côte-Vertu/Cavendish and the Poirier/Cavendish intersections is still being examined by the urban-planning committee. Currently, a great deal of that space is taken up by parking lots – which are in the way of maximizing the sector's potential. New buildings on those lots might soon see the light of day.

Large parking lots are now on the urban-planning committee's blacklist, as the plan doesn't allow for any projects that require a large amount of parking spaces.

"If a project requires a large amount of parking spaces, we ask that they be placed underground," Paquet added.

The borough's urban-planning committee has also taken steps to ensure that any other projects have St. Laurent's -- and Montreal's -- values and best interests at heart. Green spaces, bicycle paths, pedestrian access and the preservation of architectural heritage are high on that list of values. In fact, every aspect of the territory’s management is discussed by the committee. Citizens are invited to share their thoughts at public meetings and public consultations held by the committee.

(Translated by Marc Lalonde)