The Great Diversion
"To the Farm! What Farm?" Michel Hazanavicius and Dominique Mézerette
Less than a year ago, 25,000 Montrealers forced the city to hold a public consultation on urban agriculture. The topic is timely and in line with a global shift in awareness: sustainable development and local consumption. This competition is an opportunity to go beyond simply reorganizing traffic routes: what image does Montreal wish to project in the coming years?
The first observation is the proliferation of surface parking lots, haphazardly scattered throughout every vacant space in the urban fabric. This visual pollution detracts from the neighborhood's image. That is why we propose the creation of underground parking lots, which--given the number of events held in the neighborhood--would ensure constant traffic and generate significant revenue for the city. The funds collected would be reinvested above ground, creating public spaces and supporting neighborhood life. A variety of activities, both summer and winter, could support the neighborhood's vitality and its many festivals.
Major thoroughfares along the edge of the neighborhood would allow for the pedestrianization of certain streets and the widening of increasingly busy bike lanes. The library park would be the ideal location for a public market, community gardens, and small-scale animal husbandry projects. We suggest demolishing the old bus station and replacing it with a community center: a gathering place for residents of the Latin Quarter. The vacant space between this future institution and the Îlot Voyageur would host a food court, a collection of "food trucks" offering local cuisine.
Far from being utopian, this project aligns with the vision many Montrealers have for their city. Undertaking such a project in the heart of the entertainment district would allow Montreal to position itself, once again, as a forward-thinking city, developing its own expertise and becoming a global leader in new urban uses.
(From the competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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