From consultation to dialogue

October 10, 2014

By Marc-André Bourgault, Urban Planning Project Officer, L’Atelier Urbain

The first phase of consultation on the Ville-Marie autoroute overlay project came to an end on October 8. A major citizens’ brainstorming session had launched the process on September 10, 2014, followed by a web platform enabling citizens to express their views online for almost a month.

More than just a traditional public consultation, this day of activity involved a heightened level of public impact, and made it possible to reach a maximum number of citizens through its playful nature. Situated at three strategic locations for the planning of the area, the Champ-de-Mars metro station was the site of a user-friendly installation where people could consult the proposals selected during an ideas competition held by the City in 2009, and identify two favourites among them. Citizens were also invited to discuss their ideas with City of Montreal planning professionals, and could illustrate them on paper. In the parking lot opposite the courthouse, an animated quiz was used to reflect on mobility and accessibility issues. Finally, at Square Viger, a guided tour explored the history of the site, and citizens were invited to offer their wishes for the future of the public square, with a view to its reappropriation.

Towards new forms of citizen involvement

While public participation processes are bound to evolve, one thing is widely recognized: upstream citizen involvement is essentially a guarantee of success. In a desire to create a project that brings people together, the planning project for the Champs-de-Mars sector, which is presented as “a project for all Montrealers”, follows this preoccupation with involving as many stakeholders as possible. Upstream consultation is the general idea, and new technologies such as the web platform make it easier to involve all citizens.

In the field of land use planning, a public participation process is provided for in the Act respecting land use planning and development, and some cities, such as Montreal, have their own process. However, the formal nature of these provisions can sometimes seem cumbersome and inaccessible to all. The challenge is to integrate as many local players as possible into the decision-making process. What’s more, these consultations are rarely held before a project is actually implemented, which can lead to a feeling of fait accompli. New forms of citizen involvement are therefore being introduced, with the aim of improving practices. For example, co-creation workshops and citizens’ idea charrettes bring new ways of doing things together in a more convivial setting for stakeholders unaccustomed to participating in decision-making. By integrating such concerns into the process, project implementation takes account of a whole range of issues, which helps to build a broader consensus.

A challenge in terms of sustainable urban planning

With sustainable development objectives, tools for citizen involvement become essential. The Sustainable Development Act recognizes that “the participation and commitment of citizens and the groups representing them are necessary to define a concerted vision of development and to ensure its environmental, social and economic sustainability”. It goes without saying that a sustainable urban planning project must foster a sense of community, encourage the participation of the stakeholders concerned, and include a set of consultation provisions. The challenge for municipalities, in the spirit of sustainable development, therefore lies in mobilizing stakeholders, which must necessarily involve integrating innovative methods to rally as many citizens as possible to the process. In this way, the final project can only be improved if citizens take ownership of the revitalization of their environment from the outset.

RRU’s cabaret of ideas – November 4

In a different vein, but still on the same theme, the Regroupement pour la Relève en Urbanisme (RRU), a new up-and-coming committee within the Ordre des Urbanistes du Québec, is proposing a Cabaret d’idées on the Ville-Marie expressway overlay. The program is designed to be an evening of exchange and ideation, with professionals from the fields of planning, heritage, economic development, transportation and design taking the time to identify the main issues at stake in such a project. The “Cabaret d’idées” will stimulate the minds of participants to develop a global vision of the project.

ON THE PROGRAM

17 :30 Doors open
18 :00 Lecture by Mr. Clément Demers, urban planner emeritus and project manager for the QIM (Quartier international de Montréal)
19 :00 Cabaret d’idée where experts from various fields related to development will lead discussion tables. A relaxed format where participants can move from table to table
20 :00 Continuation of the evening with a drink.

The event is free and open to all. Registration is required, however, as places are limited. To register, please follow http://goo.gl/forms/e7EZUbMCUV.

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References :

International Association for Public Participation, 2011, “AIP2 Public Participation Foundations”, http://iap2canada.ca/Resources/Documents/French%20Language/P03_French_IAP2_Foundations_2011_Post_Joana.pdf

MAMROT, 2010, “Mécanismes de consultation publique en matière d’aménagement du territoire et d’urbanisme”, Guide La prise de décision en urbanisme. http://www.mamrot.gouv.qc.ca/amenagement-du-territoire/guide-la-prise-de-decision-en-urbanisme/acteurs-et-processus/mecanismes-de-consultation-publique-en-matiere-damenagement-du-territoire-et-durbanisme/

Projet secteur Champs-de-Mars, 2014, “Démarche de participation citoyenne”. http://secteurchampdemars.ca/