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The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
To address many global and urban challenges such as climate
change and air pollution we propose the gradual, yet bold conver-
sion of a neighbourhood commercial street into one of Canada’s
most provocative, fun, and liveable public spaces.
This flexible 25-year plan calls for a three-phased transformation of
a 300m stretch of rue St-Viateur in the Montreal neighbourhood of
Mile End, enhancing what is cherished about the area while making
it a demonstration project for car-free street conversions.
The Outdoor Living Room plan will make what is currently a
car-space into a bustling pedestrian-oriented place. Enhancing
greenery, art, and activity are the elements used to propel the street
ecologically and economically to the forefront of city space design.
Our team is made up of four graduate students in Urban Plan-
ning and Urban Design at McGill University working under the
supervision of our Faculty Sponsor Nik Luka (Assistant Professor of
Architecture and Urban Planning).
Janaina Peruzzo, Brendan Pinches, Adam Popper, and Darren Veres
15 January 2010
A vision to address
an urgent problem
People Places
Urban transformations, like the one proposed here,
can be beneficial for the environment, for the econ-
omy, and for urban quality of life. Reclaiming streets
for people is a major step toward sustainability, and
vital to meet the colossal and urgent challenges we
now face.
Urbanism: a pillar of environmentalism
In the past, urban planners contributed to the
motorisation of cities, making them inhospitable to
pedestrians. With increased knowledge about the
importance of public space and transportation, cities
are cast as part of the solutions to our environmental
challenges. The city has been re-imagined.
Our opportune moment
With increasing eco-consciousness, the moment
has arrived to invest in car-free city living. Munici-
pal, provincial, and federal Governments are now
issuing physical activity guides, walking strategies,
and bicycle plans to promote active transportation.
Grassroots organisations are working to make their
neighbourhoods more liveable, walkable and enjoy-
able. The time for this kind of project has come.
the global and local challenge
Canadians are awakening to the complex problems of global climate
change, and the end of cheap oil. Urbanites (who make up more
than 80% of the Canadian population1
, and more than 50% of the
world population) are beginning to realise that while cars can offer
mobility, they harm liveability.2
air pollution
Currently, transport Canada reports that transportation causes 78%
of urban air pollution.3
Smog contributes to respiratory illnesses
especially in our youngest and oldest members of society. Asthma
rates in Canada are among the highest in the world, affecting three
million of us.4
Health Crisis
Less than half of the Canadian adult population is physically active.
Inactivity is associated with worsened physical, social, and mental
health, and heightened risk of diabetes and obesity. The total eco-
nomic costs associated with inactivity and obesity represented more
than 5% of the total health care costs in Canada in 2001. In effect,
annual tax expenditures are $5.3 billion for physical inactivity, and
$4.3 billion for obesity.5
Traffic: Stress, Danger and Congestion
The noise in high-traffic neighbourhoods can exceed 80 dB, enough
to cause hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and aggressive behaviour.
More than 500 pedestrians are killed and more than 3000 injured
in Canada each year.6
Urban traffic congestion now costs Canadians
between $2.5 and 3.75 billion in wasted time and fuel.7
source:www.chinaeconomicreview.com
source:coolhdwallpapers.com
source:www.flickr.com
source:static.howstuffworks.com
2
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Streets for people
Transportation is public space
Cities around the world have shifted their policies
toward planning for people and not machines. After
decades of car-dominated streets, many cities are
celebrating their public spaces. Recognising that
streets make up a quarter of the typical city’s land
area, they are now seen as primary public spaces.
People are responding to new opportunities to spend time
on benches, at street cafés, and just strolling. But there is
much work still to be done.
Green Canadian Cities
Pedestrians and cyclists are indicator species of healthy
places. Most Canadian cities, taken as a whole, have very
low rates of walking (usually 1-2% of the mode share) and
cycling (5-9%).8
Certain neighbourhoods in Canada’s largest cities have
much higher rates of walking, cycling, and transit use
(16%-22%).9
In some Vancouver neighbourhoods, over
10% of trips are by bike;10
in Toronto’s central neighbour-
hoods, about 34% of trips are made by transit, and 35%
are on foot or by bike. Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood,
where our pilot project is located, is also ahead of the
curve in terms of walking, cycling, and transit use.
For a Canadian city to be considered sustainable it needs
regional public transportation options, bikeable districts,
and walkable, people-centred streets, all woven together.
COPENHAGENIsATION
Copenhagen has set a great example of car-free planning. The city’s
walk- and bike-centred approached has yielded the term “Copenha-
genisation” to mean putting people before cars. Copenhagen can
boast that over 36% of citizens ride their bikes to work or school
(80% of those claim to ride through the winter), and 35% walk or
take transit. Their streets are becoming pedestrianised step-by-step
through the gradual removal of parking spaces.
Car-lite cities
In Warsaw, Poland and Bern, Switzerland—cities with cold winters
and hot summers like in Canada—less than ¼ of trips are by car.11
Most are on foot, bike and transit. Not all cities can be all cities can
be like Tokyo and Hong Kong, where 65-85% of trips are by public
transit, but we can do car-lite in our own way.12
Feet, bikes, rail and
bus are all part of the solution.
YES WE CAN! IN NORTH AMERICA
In North America, Portland, Oregon has increased its number of bike
trips by 250% in eight years with its “If you build it, they will come”
approach.13
It is possible to make dramatic changes in a short time...
and at the same time, local residents have voted with their feet.
Through grassroots efforts like the City Repair Project, they have
changed streets and intersections into people spaces.
MELBOURNE MADE IT COUNT
Melbourne worked to make the city an enjoyable and easy place
to walk with high quality street furniture and improved building
façades. These efforts had a measurable effect: within 10 years, the
city experienced 40% more pedestrian traffic. Along with it came
a proportional increase in economic vitality tangible in jobs, tax
revenues and property values.14
Strøget, Copenhagen
Downtown MelbourneSherritt Square, Portland
Bern, Switzerland
source:www.flickr.com
source:www.streetsblog.orgsource:www.flickr.com
3
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Community Profile
The proposed intervention will take place in Mile
End, a neighbourhood located 3.5km from down-
town Montreal in the Plateau-Mont-Royal Borough.
History
Originally a working class neighborhood, the Mile End was
settled by successive waves of Jewish immigrants along
with Greek, Portuguese and Italian immigrants. Their pres-
ence is still evident through the many locally-owned cafés,
restaurants and bagel bakeries.
Rue St-Viateur
Rue St-Viateur is a small commercial street located in the
centre of Mile End. It extends from avenue de Gaspé in the
east to avenue Stuart in the west. The segment examined
for this project runs from avenue du Parc in the west to
rue St-Urbain in the east and is roughly 300m in length.
M
M
M
NEIGHBOURHOOD CONTEXT
Rue St. Viateur
PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL
OUTREMONT
M
M
M
Parc MONT-ROYAL
ROSEMONT
Av.duParc
Av.StUrbanin
Mile End neighbourhood in Montreal
Key Destinations
St-Viateur Study Area
4
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Street Strengths
St-Viateur equals bagels
When you say “St-Viateur” in Montreal, people think
BAGELS. That’s because the street is home to Montreal’s
most famous bagel bakery called, “St-Viateur Bagel.” First
opened in 1957, the bakery has become a Montreal insti-
tution. It has opened up successful café/bakeries in three
other neighbourhoods and ships around the continent.
Diverse local economy
A diverse and unique mix of businesses can be found on
St-Viateur including cafés, shops, restaurants, and art gal-
leries. The street is also home to software designers such
as Ubisoft, one of the world’s leading video game publish-
ers and a major employer in the area.
A street at a human scale
The variety of architecturally rich yet humble building
façades make it a pleasure to walk down the street. The
two- to four-storey buildings make for a human-scaled
urban landscape.
Neighbourhood heart
The cafés on the street are key social places for the neigh-
bourhood. People meet and greet here, both outside and
in, and even throughout Montreal’s long, cold winters.
Liveable density
The Plateau and Mile End are higher in population density
than most of Montreal. The area is characterised by duplex
and triplex housing types with high land coverage, yet
there is a calm and liveable ambiance.
Creative residents
Over the past 20 years, the area has gained a reputation as
a neighbourhood of artists, musicians, writers and young
professionals.
Few cars, few car trips
According to the Canadian Housing and Loan Corpora-
tion, the Plateau and Mile End have lower rates of car-
ownership than other neighbourhoods in Montreal. This
translates into fewer weekday trips and less greenhouse
gas emissions compared with the rest of Montreal.15
Getting there: foot, bike, bus, and metro
Approximately 30% of residents in Mile End rely on either
walking or biking as their main form of transportation to
work or school compared with only ten percent for the
City of Montreal. Similarly the neighbourhood has a higher
than average rate of public transit use at 36% compared
to the rest of the city.16
Extensive bike lane network
Although there is no bike lane on St-Viateur, the neigh-
bourhood is served by a network of bike lanes that make
cycling in the area more attractive.
Community collaboration
Mile End has a flourishing network of grassroots organisa-
tions dedicated to improving public space in the neigh-
bourhood and reducing the impacts of private automo-
biles. Car Free Mile End (CFME) is one among several
initiatives developing tangible projects to create shared
public space, community empowerment, and to take prac-
tical steps toward the emergent problems of a looming
“carbon-challenged era.”17
Mode share for Mile End
source:www.flickr.comsource:www.flickr.comsource:www.flickr.com
St-Viateur Bagel Shop
Mural in alley just off St-Viateur.
5
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Threats considered
Lack of people space
There is not enough space for people in the public
realm on St-Viateur. Sidewalks are both brimming
with hundreds of people per hour and cluttered
with poles, small trees, bike parking, newspaper
boxes, sand containers, signs, and parking kiosks.
Pedestrians are effectively provided less than 23% of
the street space, but are almost 48% in proportion
(compared to 44% for people in vehicles*). The 80
cyclists counted (8 % of total users) have no dedi-
cated street facilities.
Rapid change
The vibrancy and low cost of living in Mile End has
brought with it the threat of gentrification. Older, less-
valuable properties near St-Viateur are being slowly
transformed into new, more expensive housing. The area
is somewhat resilient to rapid change in that it has a high
proportion of rental units which helps to keep property
values low. Moreover, community networks are strong.
Our project will contribute to its resilience and strength.
Parking in demand
St-Viateur Bagel has regional appeal, drawing many of its
customers from outside of the neighbourhood. Many of
its clients, who chose to purchase from the original outlet
and not one of its other bakery/cafés throughout the city
demand parking nearby. Tasteful concessions should be
made to accommodate demand during the street’s trans-
formation. The Outdoor Living Room plan re-imagines
how St-Viateur parking revenue is generated and how this
can help pay for pedestrian improvements.
The above count reveals what is typical on St-Viateur: more pedestrians than vehicles.
Pedestrians are 30% more prevalent than motorists, but 187% more space is available to cars.
St-Viateur Street Section Looking East Between Waverly and St-Urbain
Hourly counts:
17 November 2009
6
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Design approach
Sustainable urban design requires courage, comprehensive thinking, and flex-
ibility. Working through the needs and desires of local residents, we aim to
enhance the historical, ecological and economic factors that influence place.
Pioneering, even daring
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.
—T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1917)
So much of Canadian urban design is timid and merely decorative. To inspire real
change in the local area, and to show to commercial streets around the world that car
free is not only possible but beneficial, bold interventions are needed.
Cities as ecosystems
Urban environments are complex and interconnected. We embrace their uncertainty
and harness their beauty in attempting to enhance their resilient characteristics.
For Mordechai, Michelle and Mohammed
People come in all different shapes and sizes. They have needs based on their physical
abilities as well as their cultural understandings. All designs, in three dimensions and on
the city’s “canvases,” will take into account the diverse communities’ needs and their
expressed desires.
For four seasons
A healthy lifestyle doesn’t hit the couch in January. Slide down hills, light bonfires, and
watch the colours turn redish-yellow in December’s low light. Fall means crispy leaves.
April showers trickle through permeable pavement. Street design must ride out the
storm.
For the people, by the people
What is found here is the first plan in a process of engaging the diverse publics of Mile
End. We crave reaction, positive and negative. The response informs further designs.
The momentum continues, reflecting the neighbourhood’s vision.
Planning is a process, not a project
Good planning demands working closely with all kinds of partners: elected officials,
government agencies, engineers, community groups, researchers, and the public. Their
input and realities are intrinsic to making anything useful really happen.
Community
Input
AnalysePlan
Development
Test
ITERATIVE DESIGN PROCESS
7
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Methodology
THREE phases: Provoke,
interact & Engage, livE IN IT
This plan does not call for fixed phases with set beginning
and end dates, but remains flexible. Each of the proposed
phases is guided by a motif. The first, to provoke, is
necessary to make a splash enough to solicit a sufficient
community and city-wide response. Early on, interven-
tions will be inexpensive and revenue will be generated.
In the second phase, the gradual transition to an outdoor
living room continues, but with the added collaboration
necessary to activate the community’s expressed desires
and needs. The third phase will see the ushering in of
the capstone public niches and sculptures, culminating
with the street’s complete car-free conversion. Finally, the
ripples made in through accomplishment will spill over to
neighbouring areas and eventually to other districts across
Canada and around the world.
Phases in time
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Beyond
1-2 years 3-10 years 11-25 years Beyond
Provoke
Interact & Engage
Live in it
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
Entrance/Gateway
Green screen - phase 1
Book sculpture park - phase 3
Garden car sculpture - phase 1
Integration with alley mural
through greening - phase 3
Parking day - phase 1
Street Hockey (summer) - phase 1
Ice Rinck (winter) - phase 3
Sidewalk terraces - phase 1
Street lighting - phase 2
Elevated terraces - phase 3
Kids park with water feature- phase 3
Green walls- phase 1
Art park - phase 2
Entrance/Gateway
ST. VIATEUR
INTERVENTIONS BY PHASE
N
PHASE 1
FESTIVALS
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
Entrance/Gateway
Green screen - phase 1
Book sculpture park - phase 3
Garden car sculpture - phase 1
Integration with alley mural
through greening - phase 3
Parking day - phase 1
Street Hockey (summer) - phase 1
Ice Rinck (winter) - phase 3
Sidewalk terraces - phase 1
Street lighting - phase 2
Elevated terraces - phase 3
Kids park with water feature- phase 3
Green walls- phase 1
Art park - phase 2
Entrance/Gateway
ST. VIATEUR
INTERVENTIONS BY PHASE
N
PHASE 2
FESTIVALS
Entrance/Gateway
Green screen - phase 1
Book sculpture park - phase 3
Parking day - phase 1
Street Hockey (summer) - phase 1
Ice Rinck (winter) - phase 3
Sidewalk terraces - phase 1
Elevated terraces - phase 3
Kids park with water feature- phase 3
Entrance/Gateway
PHASE 3
PED/BIKE
PHASE 2: Interact & Engage
PHASE 3: Live in it
Phase 1: Provoke
Phases in time
8
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Interventions
Themes approach
This bold street design plan is based on
four themes. They enact our design ap-
proach to achieve a more people-friendly,
ecological and visually appealing place.
Pluck parking for people places
Parking spaces will be removed at rate of about
five per cent per year until the transition to a car-
free street is complete.
Give me greenspace
Greenspaces will be doubled with added trees,
planters and permeable pavement.
Open-air art gallery
To reflect the communities creativity back unto it-
self, there will be art everywhere! The neighbour-
hood’s authors and musicians will be celebrated
with festivals and landscape elements.
Play, relax, and celebrate
Sundays will give a taste of the possibilities. The
street’s first winter carnival will have a skating
rink, sledding surface and ice-sculptures. The street
will tingle with exhibitions, playing surfaces and
Montreal’s famous terraces.
GREENING
CAR SPACE TO PEOPLE SPACE
ART/CULTURE/IDENTITY
ACTIVITY/PLAY
Book Sculpture Park
Skating Rink (winter and summer)
Parking day
Garden Car
Terraces
Kids water park
Sidewalk greening
Green Art corner
Lighting
Alley greening
Gateway
Gateway
1
2
3
4
9
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Turning car space
to people space
Number of
Parking Spots
Charged
Rate Hours/Week
Revenue/week
assuming 80%
capacity
Yearly revenue
Existing
Conditions
6 $2.00 74 $710.40 $36940.80
Proposed
Conditions
50 $2.00* 78 $7800.00 $405600.00
Revenue increase: $368,659.20
Revenue % increase: 1000%
*Subject to change based on Shoup’s strategy.
Phase 1:
People need time to adjust to change, which
is why the removal of parking is incremental.
Five curb spaces in the first two years will be
replaced by people, art, activity and green
spaces, as well as a dedicated car-sharing
spot for Montreal’s non-profit car shar-
ing organisation Communauto. Transition
to a car-free street does not mean it must
become car-less.
Phase 2:
About five per cent of car space is shifted
to people space each year. Cafés and res-
taurants are offered extended patios into
the street. Street hockey and ice rinks take
up street space in front of stores. Town-hall
meetings are held to select which parking
spaces should go first and which remain for
the longest time. This allows for a tasteful
concession to drivers and the businesses
more reliant on a regional clientele.
Phase 3:
The street is recognised as one of the city’s
premier public spaces. A central element fills
the street with seats, and a neighbourhood
node brimming with activity in the winter
as well as the summer. The street feels like a
connected public space with various niches
for smaller gatherings.
source:www.flickr.com
source:©NYCDOT/Gehl
source:my.parkingday.org.com
Park(ing) Day 2009, San Francisco New York, NYPark(ing) Day 2009, Portland
1 Pluck parking for people places
Urban planner and public space specialist, Jan Gehl says,
“If you can’t park, you won’t drive.” Reducing the number
of motorised trips is one reason that parking removal is so
important. The other, perhaps more essential reason, is to
make room for desirable people places. Imagine what you
can do in a single parking space! Fifteen people can watch
a concert. Ten people can sit and dine together. Eight
bikes can be parked with ease. Two trees can be planted.
Kids can have room to play games safely.
Local management of parking fees will help to make this
plan a financial success. Using two ideas from Donald
Shoup’s book The High Cost of Free Parking, many of the
proposed interventions can be paid for through parking
fees. Shoup shows that parking charges can be guided by
the market’s “invisible hand.” Charging the right amount
(found through trial and error) for parking on commercial
streets has shown to keep about 20% of spots free at all
times. This strategy has been shown to maximise revenues
and minimise “cruising for parking” and driver frustration.
Shoup also suggests keeping fund locally with a “Parking
Benefit District.” Most of the revenues from curb parking
go directly into street improvements rather than being
filtered through a centralised bureaucracy.18
New revenue streams:
Currently, only six (of the total 55) curb parking spots earn
revenue. We propose increasing the number of revenue-
generating parking spots in Phase 1 to pay for future
changes (see chart to the right).
10
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Greenify
Phase 1:
A demonstration planter replaces a parking
spot. It hosts at least one coniferous tree
and has room for flowers. The planter is sur-
rounded by public seating. A Future green
wall is painted bright green as a provocative
and educational measure.
Phase 2:
As the sidewalk widens, existing trees are
given the groundspace they need to grow
easily. The ground is exposed in certain
areas for natural water filtration. To avoid
salt damage to plants and soil, only sand
is used for winter treatment. Flowers will
be planted around the base. At this stage
Montreal’s first neighbourhood green wall
is built and celebrated. A portion of the
street surface is replaced with pedestrian-
friendly and permeable materials. More
trees are put in place.
Phase 3:
The street feels a lot like a park. It has a dis-
tinct heart and meeting place, open grassy
areas, play zones, and portions with a thick-
er tree canopy, well lit for safety. Bioswales,
with endemic grasses and Canadian thistle,
will be built to promote natural water
drainage. This will reduce the City’s storm-
water management expenditure. All public
spaces will be greened with additional trees,
planters and ground coverings.
source:www.googlemaps.com
source:www.flickr.com
source:www.googlemaps.com
Living wall, MontrealEducational mural, St-Viateur Avenue Duluth, Montreal
Give me greenspace2
Planting is one of the few urban ways that helps to both
mitigate climate change and adapt to its now inevitable
effects. Our urban surfaces are mostly hard and imperme-
able to water. To the visitor, street trees offer visual soft-
ness, shade in the summer, and winter wind protection.
Trees act as carbon sinks, air scrubbers and city coolers.
There are measurable benefits as well:
12 kg of converted CO•	 2/tree/year
Positive perception of area, attracting (as one study sug-•	
gests 12% more) customers19
Reduced air pollutants causing respiratory health prob-•	
lems
Lower heating and cooling costs by•	
between 8-12% / year20
Return on investment per dollar spent on each urban•	
tree planted has been estimated at between $1.37 in
Bismark, North Dakota21
and $5.60 in benefit for New
York City.22
The pavement around St-Viateur’s 29 tiny trees will be torn
up to let the soil breathe and accept ground planting. The
tree count will double and include evergreens for winter
colour and wind protection.
11
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Art Everywhere
Phase 1:
Neighbourhood artivists (artist + activist) like
Roadsworth, and ATSA (Action Terroriste So-
cialement Acceptable) are be commissioned
to exhibit their art in the public realm. The
street is home to various arts festivals pro-
moting the burgeoning local music scene,
local visual artists, and writers.
Phase 2:
Unique street furniture and bicycle parking
are found through a design competition.
Here, usable items that double as public
art, instituted within five years. The street’s
lighting plan is discussed and becomes part
of the public realm. The winter festival
features an ice-sculpture display.
Phase 3:
During the third phase, as the street
becomes filled with pedestrians, local art-
ists are commissioned to design and build
several tasteful and unique public elements
celebrating the community’s identity.
Activate & Animate
Phase 1:
Building on the success of the annual
St-Viateur street festival, Car Free Day in
September, and a dozen summer Sundays,
activate the street. Visitors and local resi-
dents can also rent one of the street’s 100
available Bixi bikes, or park their own at the
ample bike racks.
Phase 2:
This is Montreal Canadiens territory,
after all. Local kids are offered a painted
hockey (or soccer) surface for summer play,
and keep a frozen rink as a winter trial.
Pedestrian Sundays multiply and take over
Saturday, too. Fitness and yoga classes are
offered in the open air. A street-wide WiFi
network and chess tables are provided for
more restful, public activity options.
Phase 3:
Hockey rinks, and snow piles are major
features built by community members for
winter activity. The local cafés overflow onto
the sidewalk and three-season seating is
built into the centre of the street. Various in-
teractive elements fill the sides of the street,
and left-over spaces between buildings.
source:www.flickr.com
source:www.farm4.static.flickr.com.com
source:www.flickr.com
source:www.flickr.com
source:www..fbe.unsw.edu.au.com
St-Viateur Street Fesitival
Street art by Roadsworth “The Village” St. Catherine Street, MontrealUnique street furniture created for St-Viateur
Outdoor Yoga, St-Viateur
Open air art gallery3
This is one of Canada’s most creative neighbourhoods.
There is already art on the walls, and St-Viateur’s side-
walks are a favourite of Roadsworth—an internationally-
acclaimed artist who works with stencils, spray-cans,
whimsy, and satire.
Several street festivals draw musicians, writers and im-
aginative artists. The local creative output will be better
shared and celebrated.
Play relax and celebrate4
People of all ages are offered opportunities to
become active in various ways. Social, mental and
physical activities are all encouraged. First, bike racks
and Bixi stations (Montreal’s public bike-rental sys-
tem) multiply. Later on, the street is used for games
and sports in all seasons.
12
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Garden car
phase i
St-Viateur’s Garden Car or “Carden” is
at once an edible garden and an inter-
active sculpture. From here, passersby
and restaurateurs can harvest hardy
rosemary and oregano. Urban adven-
turers climb to its top for a superior
street vantage. Local artists repaint it
as the neighbourhood dynamic shifts.
Here is an example of the convergence
between a sustainable statement,
imaginative use of public space, and
art.
A new, simple design for bike parking
and sapling protection is also unveiled.
Reclaiming the alleys--a process begun
with murals--continues apace as the
space is now filled with seating oppor-
tunities and local grasses.
source:www.googlemaps.com
BEFORE
After
13
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Green screen
Phase 2
Currently a small under-used parking
lot mars the landscape of St-Viateur.
Before this space becomes the home
of a major interactive art sculpture, the
lot can remain functional but the view
from the sidewalk will be screened
with plants and a gate. The pedestrian
experience is enhanced.
BEFORE
After
14
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Places for
people
Phases 1 & 2
Building on the success of Park(ing)
Days held in many cities around the
world, several parking spaces will be
successively and permanently re-
claimed for people use. New spaces
can be colonised as public space after
popular festivals.
source:www.googlemaps.com
BEFORE
After
15
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Winter on
St-Viateur
Phases 2 & 3
Staying active in a Montreal winter
can be difficult as it gets very cold
and dark. Luckily, St-Viateur, during
festivals in phase 2 and for most of the
winter in phase 3, will offer a skating
rink, a ski path, themed low-energy
lighting and colourful plantings to help
beat those winter blues.
BEFORE
After
16
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Green Art
Corner
PhaseS 2 & 3
On the southeast corner of Waverly
and St-Viateur sits a pocket where cur-
rently two vehicles are often parked.
Across from the busiest café-terrace
in the neighbourhood, this small plot
is transformed into a vibrant place
through enhanced plantings, places
to sit and play, and by the inclusion of
public art such as sculpture and paint-
ings.
source:www.googlemaps.com
BEFORE
After
17
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Waterpark
for kids
Phase 3
The neighbourhood’s many children will
enjoy cavorting in this colourful play-
ground. Alongside added plantings and
bioswales, climbable sculptures squirt col-
lected and filtered rain water when some-
one rides the stationary bike. Materials are
recycled and sourced as locally as possible.
BEFORE
After
18
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Book sculpture
park
PhaseS 3
Mile End’s artistic and literary repu-
tation is celebrated through this
multi-use space, which functions as a
sculpture and an interactive play space
for children and adults.
source:www.googlemaps.com
BEFORE
After
19
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
Change is achievable
This plan is unorthodox in that pedestrian zones beyond the downtown
core are rare in Canada. It is viable and within the stated aims of the City
of Montreal as expressed through the 2004 Master Plan, 2006 Pedes-
trian Charter and 2008 Transportation Plan:
Sustainable development;•	
Public places that ensure a comfortable and safe pedestrian experi-•	
ence no matter the season;
Encouraging more active lifestyles (by doubling the number of bike•	
lanes and through traffic calming neighbourhoods);
Healthier urban environments and alternatives to the individual car•	
The obstacles inherent in a visionary project like this one lie in the pro-
cess. For instance, designers must work with emergency and sanitation
services to ensure basic access is not unnecessarily restricted. Delivery,
garbage and fire trucks should be considered in a new neighbourhood
context. Moreover, civil engineers need to be consulted to make what
is above and below ground a possibility. The spirit of collaboration must
reign.
Most importantly, planning has to be done at the local level, focusing on
incorporating community needs and desires. With the right approach,
vibrant commercial streets across Canada can be enhanced to become
Outdoor Living Rooms.
Footnotes
http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo62a-eng.htm,1.	
“State of the world population 2009. Facing a changing world:2.	
women, population and climate.” United Nations Population Fund.
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/
(Transport Canada Urban Transport Shocase Program Case Study 26.3.	
May 2005)
(Asthma Society of Canada, http://www.asthma.ca/adults/about/who-4.	
GetsAsthma.php)
Katzmarzyk, P.T. & Janssen, I. (2004). The economic costs associated5.	
with physical inactivity and obesity in Canada: An update. Canadian
Journal of Applied Physiology, 29, 90-115.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/080402/dq080402a-eng.6.	
htm
Transport Canada (2006a). The cost of urban congestion in Canada.7.	
Transportation Canada, Environmental Affairs. Retrieved from
www.tc.gc.ca/utsp)http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp2436-
rs200403-menu-166.htm#from2
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/080402/dq080402a-eng.8.	
htm
Ibid9.	
City of Vancouver. Administrative Report. 2008/2009 Cycling Statistics10.	
Update. 17 Feb 2001.
(Copenhagen 2004 transport plan; http://www.urbanaudit.org).11.	
(“NEW Benchmarking Londons Public Transport Systems an Interna-12.	
tional Comparison”http://www.mvaconsultancy.com/publications/
NEW%20Benchmarking%20Londons%20Public).
(http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.13.	
cfm?a=264460&c=39132)
Gehl Architects. (2008). “World Class Streets: Remaking New York14.	
City’s Public Realm.”
www.cmhc.ca/15.	
www.chass.utoronto.ca/16.	
http://carfreemileend.com/17.	
Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking, Chicago: Planners18.	
Press, 2005.
Wolf, K. L. 2003. Public Response to the Urban Forest in Inner-City19.	
Business Districts. Special Issue on Social Aspects of Urban Forestry.
Journal of Arboriculture, 29, 3, 117-126.
McPherson E. G. and Rowntree, R A (1993). “Energy Conservation20.	
Potential of Urban Tree Planting.” Journal of Arboriculture 19(6):
November 1993. 321-331.
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/environ-21.	
ment/20050503/7/1404
http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/urban_forest/urban_forest_ben-22.	
efits.shtml
20
The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People

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Outdoor_Living_Room_ScreenVersion

  • 1. The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People To address many global and urban challenges such as climate change and air pollution we propose the gradual, yet bold conver- sion of a neighbourhood commercial street into one of Canada’s most provocative, fun, and liveable public spaces. This flexible 25-year plan calls for a three-phased transformation of a 300m stretch of rue St-Viateur in the Montreal neighbourhood of Mile End, enhancing what is cherished about the area while making it a demonstration project for car-free street conversions. The Outdoor Living Room plan will make what is currently a car-space into a bustling pedestrian-oriented place. Enhancing greenery, art, and activity are the elements used to propel the street ecologically and economically to the forefront of city space design. Our team is made up of four graduate students in Urban Plan- ning and Urban Design at McGill University working under the supervision of our Faculty Sponsor Nik Luka (Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning). Janaina Peruzzo, Brendan Pinches, Adam Popper, and Darren Veres 15 January 2010
  • 2. A vision to address an urgent problem People Places Urban transformations, like the one proposed here, can be beneficial for the environment, for the econ- omy, and for urban quality of life. Reclaiming streets for people is a major step toward sustainability, and vital to meet the colossal and urgent challenges we now face. Urbanism: a pillar of environmentalism In the past, urban planners contributed to the motorisation of cities, making them inhospitable to pedestrians. With increased knowledge about the importance of public space and transportation, cities are cast as part of the solutions to our environmental challenges. The city has been re-imagined. Our opportune moment With increasing eco-consciousness, the moment has arrived to invest in car-free city living. Munici- pal, provincial, and federal Governments are now issuing physical activity guides, walking strategies, and bicycle plans to promote active transportation. Grassroots organisations are working to make their neighbourhoods more liveable, walkable and enjoy- able. The time for this kind of project has come. the global and local challenge Canadians are awakening to the complex problems of global climate change, and the end of cheap oil. Urbanites (who make up more than 80% of the Canadian population1 , and more than 50% of the world population) are beginning to realise that while cars can offer mobility, they harm liveability.2 air pollution Currently, transport Canada reports that transportation causes 78% of urban air pollution.3 Smog contributes to respiratory illnesses especially in our youngest and oldest members of society. Asthma rates in Canada are among the highest in the world, affecting three million of us.4 Health Crisis Less than half of the Canadian adult population is physically active. Inactivity is associated with worsened physical, social, and mental health, and heightened risk of diabetes and obesity. The total eco- nomic costs associated with inactivity and obesity represented more than 5% of the total health care costs in Canada in 2001. In effect, annual tax expenditures are $5.3 billion for physical inactivity, and $4.3 billion for obesity.5 Traffic: Stress, Danger and Congestion The noise in high-traffic neighbourhoods can exceed 80 dB, enough to cause hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and aggressive behaviour. More than 500 pedestrians are killed and more than 3000 injured in Canada each year.6 Urban traffic congestion now costs Canadians between $2.5 and 3.75 billion in wasted time and fuel.7 source:www.chinaeconomicreview.com source:coolhdwallpapers.com source:www.flickr.com source:static.howstuffworks.com 2 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 3. Streets for people Transportation is public space Cities around the world have shifted their policies toward planning for people and not machines. After decades of car-dominated streets, many cities are celebrating their public spaces. Recognising that streets make up a quarter of the typical city’s land area, they are now seen as primary public spaces. People are responding to new opportunities to spend time on benches, at street cafés, and just strolling. But there is much work still to be done. Green Canadian Cities Pedestrians and cyclists are indicator species of healthy places. Most Canadian cities, taken as a whole, have very low rates of walking (usually 1-2% of the mode share) and cycling (5-9%).8 Certain neighbourhoods in Canada’s largest cities have much higher rates of walking, cycling, and transit use (16%-22%).9 In some Vancouver neighbourhoods, over 10% of trips are by bike;10 in Toronto’s central neighbour- hoods, about 34% of trips are made by transit, and 35% are on foot or by bike. Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood, where our pilot project is located, is also ahead of the curve in terms of walking, cycling, and transit use. For a Canadian city to be considered sustainable it needs regional public transportation options, bikeable districts, and walkable, people-centred streets, all woven together. COPENHAGENIsATION Copenhagen has set a great example of car-free planning. The city’s walk- and bike-centred approached has yielded the term “Copenha- genisation” to mean putting people before cars. Copenhagen can boast that over 36% of citizens ride their bikes to work or school (80% of those claim to ride through the winter), and 35% walk or take transit. Their streets are becoming pedestrianised step-by-step through the gradual removal of parking spaces. Car-lite cities In Warsaw, Poland and Bern, Switzerland—cities with cold winters and hot summers like in Canada—less than ¼ of trips are by car.11 Most are on foot, bike and transit. Not all cities can be all cities can be like Tokyo and Hong Kong, where 65-85% of trips are by public transit, but we can do car-lite in our own way.12 Feet, bikes, rail and bus are all part of the solution. YES WE CAN! IN NORTH AMERICA In North America, Portland, Oregon has increased its number of bike trips by 250% in eight years with its “If you build it, they will come” approach.13 It is possible to make dramatic changes in a short time... and at the same time, local residents have voted with their feet. Through grassroots efforts like the City Repair Project, they have changed streets and intersections into people spaces. MELBOURNE MADE IT COUNT Melbourne worked to make the city an enjoyable and easy place to walk with high quality street furniture and improved building façades. These efforts had a measurable effect: within 10 years, the city experienced 40% more pedestrian traffic. Along with it came a proportional increase in economic vitality tangible in jobs, tax revenues and property values.14 Strøget, Copenhagen Downtown MelbourneSherritt Square, Portland Bern, Switzerland source:www.flickr.com source:www.streetsblog.orgsource:www.flickr.com 3 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 4. Community Profile The proposed intervention will take place in Mile End, a neighbourhood located 3.5km from down- town Montreal in the Plateau-Mont-Royal Borough. History Originally a working class neighborhood, the Mile End was settled by successive waves of Jewish immigrants along with Greek, Portuguese and Italian immigrants. Their pres- ence is still evident through the many locally-owned cafés, restaurants and bagel bakeries. Rue St-Viateur Rue St-Viateur is a small commercial street located in the centre of Mile End. It extends from avenue de Gaspé in the east to avenue Stuart in the west. The segment examined for this project runs from avenue du Parc in the west to rue St-Urbain in the east and is roughly 300m in length. M M M NEIGHBOURHOOD CONTEXT Rue St. Viateur PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL OUTREMONT M M M Parc MONT-ROYAL ROSEMONT Av.duParc Av.StUrbanin Mile End neighbourhood in Montreal Key Destinations St-Viateur Study Area 4 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 5. Street Strengths St-Viateur equals bagels When you say “St-Viateur” in Montreal, people think BAGELS. That’s because the street is home to Montreal’s most famous bagel bakery called, “St-Viateur Bagel.” First opened in 1957, the bakery has become a Montreal insti- tution. It has opened up successful café/bakeries in three other neighbourhoods and ships around the continent. Diverse local economy A diverse and unique mix of businesses can be found on St-Viateur including cafés, shops, restaurants, and art gal- leries. The street is also home to software designers such as Ubisoft, one of the world’s leading video game publish- ers and a major employer in the area. A street at a human scale The variety of architecturally rich yet humble building façades make it a pleasure to walk down the street. The two- to four-storey buildings make for a human-scaled urban landscape. Neighbourhood heart The cafés on the street are key social places for the neigh- bourhood. People meet and greet here, both outside and in, and even throughout Montreal’s long, cold winters. Liveable density The Plateau and Mile End are higher in population density than most of Montreal. The area is characterised by duplex and triplex housing types with high land coverage, yet there is a calm and liveable ambiance. Creative residents Over the past 20 years, the area has gained a reputation as a neighbourhood of artists, musicians, writers and young professionals. Few cars, few car trips According to the Canadian Housing and Loan Corpora- tion, the Plateau and Mile End have lower rates of car- ownership than other neighbourhoods in Montreal. This translates into fewer weekday trips and less greenhouse gas emissions compared with the rest of Montreal.15 Getting there: foot, bike, bus, and metro Approximately 30% of residents in Mile End rely on either walking or biking as their main form of transportation to work or school compared with only ten percent for the City of Montreal. Similarly the neighbourhood has a higher than average rate of public transit use at 36% compared to the rest of the city.16 Extensive bike lane network Although there is no bike lane on St-Viateur, the neigh- bourhood is served by a network of bike lanes that make cycling in the area more attractive. Community collaboration Mile End has a flourishing network of grassroots organisa- tions dedicated to improving public space in the neigh- bourhood and reducing the impacts of private automo- biles. Car Free Mile End (CFME) is one among several initiatives developing tangible projects to create shared public space, community empowerment, and to take prac- tical steps toward the emergent problems of a looming “carbon-challenged era.”17 Mode share for Mile End source:www.flickr.comsource:www.flickr.comsource:www.flickr.com St-Viateur Bagel Shop Mural in alley just off St-Viateur. 5 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 6. Threats considered Lack of people space There is not enough space for people in the public realm on St-Viateur. Sidewalks are both brimming with hundreds of people per hour and cluttered with poles, small trees, bike parking, newspaper boxes, sand containers, signs, and parking kiosks. Pedestrians are effectively provided less than 23% of the street space, but are almost 48% in proportion (compared to 44% for people in vehicles*). The 80 cyclists counted (8 % of total users) have no dedi- cated street facilities. Rapid change The vibrancy and low cost of living in Mile End has brought with it the threat of gentrification. Older, less- valuable properties near St-Viateur are being slowly transformed into new, more expensive housing. The area is somewhat resilient to rapid change in that it has a high proportion of rental units which helps to keep property values low. Moreover, community networks are strong. Our project will contribute to its resilience and strength. Parking in demand St-Viateur Bagel has regional appeal, drawing many of its customers from outside of the neighbourhood. Many of its clients, who chose to purchase from the original outlet and not one of its other bakery/cafés throughout the city demand parking nearby. Tasteful concessions should be made to accommodate demand during the street’s trans- formation. The Outdoor Living Room plan re-imagines how St-Viateur parking revenue is generated and how this can help pay for pedestrian improvements. The above count reveals what is typical on St-Viateur: more pedestrians than vehicles. Pedestrians are 30% more prevalent than motorists, but 187% more space is available to cars. St-Viateur Street Section Looking East Between Waverly and St-Urbain Hourly counts: 17 November 2009 6 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 7. Design approach Sustainable urban design requires courage, comprehensive thinking, and flex- ibility. Working through the needs and desires of local residents, we aim to enhance the historical, ecological and economic factors that influence place. Pioneering, even daring Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. —T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1917) So much of Canadian urban design is timid and merely decorative. To inspire real change in the local area, and to show to commercial streets around the world that car free is not only possible but beneficial, bold interventions are needed. Cities as ecosystems Urban environments are complex and interconnected. We embrace their uncertainty and harness their beauty in attempting to enhance their resilient characteristics. For Mordechai, Michelle and Mohammed People come in all different shapes and sizes. They have needs based on their physical abilities as well as their cultural understandings. All designs, in three dimensions and on the city’s “canvases,” will take into account the diverse communities’ needs and their expressed desires. For four seasons A healthy lifestyle doesn’t hit the couch in January. Slide down hills, light bonfires, and watch the colours turn redish-yellow in December’s low light. Fall means crispy leaves. April showers trickle through permeable pavement. Street design must ride out the storm. For the people, by the people What is found here is the first plan in a process of engaging the diverse publics of Mile End. We crave reaction, positive and negative. The response informs further designs. The momentum continues, reflecting the neighbourhood’s vision. Planning is a process, not a project Good planning demands working closely with all kinds of partners: elected officials, government agencies, engineers, community groups, researchers, and the public. Their input and realities are intrinsic to making anything useful really happen. Community Input AnalysePlan Development Test ITERATIVE DESIGN PROCESS 7 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 8. Methodology THREE phases: Provoke, interact & Engage, livE IN IT This plan does not call for fixed phases with set beginning and end dates, but remains flexible. Each of the proposed phases is guided by a motif. The first, to provoke, is necessary to make a splash enough to solicit a sufficient community and city-wide response. Early on, interven- tions will be inexpensive and revenue will be generated. In the second phase, the gradual transition to an outdoor living room continues, but with the added collaboration necessary to activate the community’s expressed desires and needs. The third phase will see the ushering in of the capstone public niches and sculptures, culminating with the street’s complete car-free conversion. Finally, the ripples made in through accomplishment will spill over to neighbouring areas and eventually to other districts across Canada and around the world. Phases in time Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Beyond 1-2 years 3-10 years 11-25 years Beyond Provoke Interact & Engage Live in it PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 Entrance/Gateway Green screen - phase 1 Book sculpture park - phase 3 Garden car sculpture - phase 1 Integration with alley mural through greening - phase 3 Parking day - phase 1 Street Hockey (summer) - phase 1 Ice Rinck (winter) - phase 3 Sidewalk terraces - phase 1 Street lighting - phase 2 Elevated terraces - phase 3 Kids park with water feature- phase 3 Green walls- phase 1 Art park - phase 2 Entrance/Gateway ST. VIATEUR INTERVENTIONS BY PHASE N PHASE 1 FESTIVALS PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 Entrance/Gateway Green screen - phase 1 Book sculpture park - phase 3 Garden car sculpture - phase 1 Integration with alley mural through greening - phase 3 Parking day - phase 1 Street Hockey (summer) - phase 1 Ice Rinck (winter) - phase 3 Sidewalk terraces - phase 1 Street lighting - phase 2 Elevated terraces - phase 3 Kids park with water feature- phase 3 Green walls- phase 1 Art park - phase 2 Entrance/Gateway ST. VIATEUR INTERVENTIONS BY PHASE N PHASE 2 FESTIVALS Entrance/Gateway Green screen - phase 1 Book sculpture park - phase 3 Parking day - phase 1 Street Hockey (summer) - phase 1 Ice Rinck (winter) - phase 3 Sidewalk terraces - phase 1 Elevated terraces - phase 3 Kids park with water feature- phase 3 Entrance/Gateway PHASE 3 PED/BIKE PHASE 2: Interact & Engage PHASE 3: Live in it Phase 1: Provoke Phases in time 8 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 9. Interventions Themes approach This bold street design plan is based on four themes. They enact our design ap- proach to achieve a more people-friendly, ecological and visually appealing place. Pluck parking for people places Parking spaces will be removed at rate of about five per cent per year until the transition to a car- free street is complete. Give me greenspace Greenspaces will be doubled with added trees, planters and permeable pavement. Open-air art gallery To reflect the communities creativity back unto it- self, there will be art everywhere! The neighbour- hood’s authors and musicians will be celebrated with festivals and landscape elements. Play, relax, and celebrate Sundays will give a taste of the possibilities. The street’s first winter carnival will have a skating rink, sledding surface and ice-sculptures. The street will tingle with exhibitions, playing surfaces and Montreal’s famous terraces. GREENING CAR SPACE TO PEOPLE SPACE ART/CULTURE/IDENTITY ACTIVITY/PLAY Book Sculpture Park Skating Rink (winter and summer) Parking day Garden Car Terraces Kids water park Sidewalk greening Green Art corner Lighting Alley greening Gateway Gateway 1 2 3 4 9 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 10. Turning car space to people space Number of Parking Spots Charged Rate Hours/Week Revenue/week assuming 80% capacity Yearly revenue Existing Conditions 6 $2.00 74 $710.40 $36940.80 Proposed Conditions 50 $2.00* 78 $7800.00 $405600.00 Revenue increase: $368,659.20 Revenue % increase: 1000% *Subject to change based on Shoup’s strategy. Phase 1: People need time to adjust to change, which is why the removal of parking is incremental. Five curb spaces in the first two years will be replaced by people, art, activity and green spaces, as well as a dedicated car-sharing spot for Montreal’s non-profit car shar- ing organisation Communauto. Transition to a car-free street does not mean it must become car-less. Phase 2: About five per cent of car space is shifted to people space each year. Cafés and res- taurants are offered extended patios into the street. Street hockey and ice rinks take up street space in front of stores. Town-hall meetings are held to select which parking spaces should go first and which remain for the longest time. This allows for a tasteful concession to drivers and the businesses more reliant on a regional clientele. Phase 3: The street is recognised as one of the city’s premier public spaces. A central element fills the street with seats, and a neighbourhood node brimming with activity in the winter as well as the summer. The street feels like a connected public space with various niches for smaller gatherings. source:www.flickr.com source:©NYCDOT/Gehl source:my.parkingday.org.com Park(ing) Day 2009, San Francisco New York, NYPark(ing) Day 2009, Portland 1 Pluck parking for people places Urban planner and public space specialist, Jan Gehl says, “If you can’t park, you won’t drive.” Reducing the number of motorised trips is one reason that parking removal is so important. The other, perhaps more essential reason, is to make room for desirable people places. Imagine what you can do in a single parking space! Fifteen people can watch a concert. Ten people can sit and dine together. Eight bikes can be parked with ease. Two trees can be planted. Kids can have room to play games safely. Local management of parking fees will help to make this plan a financial success. Using two ideas from Donald Shoup’s book The High Cost of Free Parking, many of the proposed interventions can be paid for through parking fees. Shoup shows that parking charges can be guided by the market’s “invisible hand.” Charging the right amount (found through trial and error) for parking on commercial streets has shown to keep about 20% of spots free at all times. This strategy has been shown to maximise revenues and minimise “cruising for parking” and driver frustration. Shoup also suggests keeping fund locally with a “Parking Benefit District.” Most of the revenues from curb parking go directly into street improvements rather than being filtered through a centralised bureaucracy.18 New revenue streams: Currently, only six (of the total 55) curb parking spots earn revenue. We propose increasing the number of revenue- generating parking spots in Phase 1 to pay for future changes (see chart to the right). 10 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 11. Greenify Phase 1: A demonstration planter replaces a parking spot. It hosts at least one coniferous tree and has room for flowers. The planter is sur- rounded by public seating. A Future green wall is painted bright green as a provocative and educational measure. Phase 2: As the sidewalk widens, existing trees are given the groundspace they need to grow easily. The ground is exposed in certain areas for natural water filtration. To avoid salt damage to plants and soil, only sand is used for winter treatment. Flowers will be planted around the base. At this stage Montreal’s first neighbourhood green wall is built and celebrated. A portion of the street surface is replaced with pedestrian- friendly and permeable materials. More trees are put in place. Phase 3: The street feels a lot like a park. It has a dis- tinct heart and meeting place, open grassy areas, play zones, and portions with a thick- er tree canopy, well lit for safety. Bioswales, with endemic grasses and Canadian thistle, will be built to promote natural water drainage. This will reduce the City’s storm- water management expenditure. All public spaces will be greened with additional trees, planters and ground coverings. source:www.googlemaps.com source:www.flickr.com source:www.googlemaps.com Living wall, MontrealEducational mural, St-Viateur Avenue Duluth, Montreal Give me greenspace2 Planting is one of the few urban ways that helps to both mitigate climate change and adapt to its now inevitable effects. Our urban surfaces are mostly hard and imperme- able to water. To the visitor, street trees offer visual soft- ness, shade in the summer, and winter wind protection. Trees act as carbon sinks, air scrubbers and city coolers. There are measurable benefits as well: 12 kg of converted CO• 2/tree/year Positive perception of area, attracting (as one study sug-• gests 12% more) customers19 Reduced air pollutants causing respiratory health prob-• lems Lower heating and cooling costs by• between 8-12% / year20 Return on investment per dollar spent on each urban• tree planted has been estimated at between $1.37 in Bismark, North Dakota21 and $5.60 in benefit for New York City.22 The pavement around St-Viateur’s 29 tiny trees will be torn up to let the soil breathe and accept ground planting. The tree count will double and include evergreens for winter colour and wind protection. 11 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 12. Art Everywhere Phase 1: Neighbourhood artivists (artist + activist) like Roadsworth, and ATSA (Action Terroriste So- cialement Acceptable) are be commissioned to exhibit their art in the public realm. The street is home to various arts festivals pro- moting the burgeoning local music scene, local visual artists, and writers. Phase 2: Unique street furniture and bicycle parking are found through a design competition. Here, usable items that double as public art, instituted within five years. The street’s lighting plan is discussed and becomes part of the public realm. The winter festival features an ice-sculpture display. Phase 3: During the third phase, as the street becomes filled with pedestrians, local art- ists are commissioned to design and build several tasteful and unique public elements celebrating the community’s identity. Activate & Animate Phase 1: Building on the success of the annual St-Viateur street festival, Car Free Day in September, and a dozen summer Sundays, activate the street. Visitors and local resi- dents can also rent one of the street’s 100 available Bixi bikes, or park their own at the ample bike racks. Phase 2: This is Montreal Canadiens territory, after all. Local kids are offered a painted hockey (or soccer) surface for summer play, and keep a frozen rink as a winter trial. Pedestrian Sundays multiply and take over Saturday, too. Fitness and yoga classes are offered in the open air. A street-wide WiFi network and chess tables are provided for more restful, public activity options. Phase 3: Hockey rinks, and snow piles are major features built by community members for winter activity. The local cafés overflow onto the sidewalk and three-season seating is built into the centre of the street. Various in- teractive elements fill the sides of the street, and left-over spaces between buildings. source:www.flickr.com source:www.farm4.static.flickr.com.com source:www.flickr.com source:www.flickr.com source:www..fbe.unsw.edu.au.com St-Viateur Street Fesitival Street art by Roadsworth “The Village” St. Catherine Street, MontrealUnique street furniture created for St-Viateur Outdoor Yoga, St-Viateur Open air art gallery3 This is one of Canada’s most creative neighbourhoods. There is already art on the walls, and St-Viateur’s side- walks are a favourite of Roadsworth—an internationally- acclaimed artist who works with stencils, spray-cans, whimsy, and satire. Several street festivals draw musicians, writers and im- aginative artists. The local creative output will be better shared and celebrated. Play relax and celebrate4 People of all ages are offered opportunities to become active in various ways. Social, mental and physical activities are all encouraged. First, bike racks and Bixi stations (Montreal’s public bike-rental sys- tem) multiply. Later on, the street is used for games and sports in all seasons. 12 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 13. Garden car phase i St-Viateur’s Garden Car or “Carden” is at once an edible garden and an inter- active sculpture. From here, passersby and restaurateurs can harvest hardy rosemary and oregano. Urban adven- turers climb to its top for a superior street vantage. Local artists repaint it as the neighbourhood dynamic shifts. Here is an example of the convergence between a sustainable statement, imaginative use of public space, and art. A new, simple design for bike parking and sapling protection is also unveiled. Reclaiming the alleys--a process begun with murals--continues apace as the space is now filled with seating oppor- tunities and local grasses. source:www.googlemaps.com BEFORE After 13 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 14. Green screen Phase 2 Currently a small under-used parking lot mars the landscape of St-Viateur. Before this space becomes the home of a major interactive art sculpture, the lot can remain functional but the view from the sidewalk will be screened with plants and a gate. The pedestrian experience is enhanced. BEFORE After 14 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 15. Places for people Phases 1 & 2 Building on the success of Park(ing) Days held in many cities around the world, several parking spaces will be successively and permanently re- claimed for people use. New spaces can be colonised as public space after popular festivals. source:www.googlemaps.com BEFORE After 15 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 16. Winter on St-Viateur Phases 2 & 3 Staying active in a Montreal winter can be difficult as it gets very cold and dark. Luckily, St-Viateur, during festivals in phase 2 and for most of the winter in phase 3, will offer a skating rink, a ski path, themed low-energy lighting and colourful plantings to help beat those winter blues. BEFORE After 16 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 17. Green Art Corner PhaseS 2 & 3 On the southeast corner of Waverly and St-Viateur sits a pocket where cur- rently two vehicles are often parked. Across from the busiest café-terrace in the neighbourhood, this small plot is transformed into a vibrant place through enhanced plantings, places to sit and play, and by the inclusion of public art such as sculpture and paint- ings. source:www.googlemaps.com BEFORE After 17 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 18. Waterpark for kids Phase 3 The neighbourhood’s many children will enjoy cavorting in this colourful play- ground. Alongside added plantings and bioswales, climbable sculptures squirt col- lected and filtered rain water when some- one rides the stationary bike. Materials are recycled and sourced as locally as possible. BEFORE After 18 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 19. Book sculpture park PhaseS 3 Mile End’s artistic and literary repu- tation is celebrated through this multi-use space, which functions as a sculpture and an interactive play space for children and adults. source:www.googlemaps.com BEFORE After 19 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People
  • 20. Change is achievable This plan is unorthodox in that pedestrian zones beyond the downtown core are rare in Canada. It is viable and within the stated aims of the City of Montreal as expressed through the 2004 Master Plan, 2006 Pedes- trian Charter and 2008 Transportation Plan: Sustainable development;• Public places that ensure a comfortable and safe pedestrian experi-• ence no matter the season; Encouraging more active lifestyles (by doubling the number of bike• lanes and through traffic calming neighbourhoods); Healthier urban environments and alternatives to the individual car• The obstacles inherent in a visionary project like this one lie in the pro- cess. For instance, designers must work with emergency and sanitation services to ensure basic access is not unnecessarily restricted. Delivery, garbage and fire trucks should be considered in a new neighbourhood context. Moreover, civil engineers need to be consulted to make what is above and below ground a possibility. The spirit of collaboration must reign. Most importantly, planning has to be done at the local level, focusing on incorporating community needs and desires. With the right approach, vibrant commercial streets across Canada can be enhanced to become Outdoor Living Rooms. Footnotes http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo62a-eng.htm,1. “State of the world population 2009. Facing a changing world:2. women, population and climate.” United Nations Population Fund. http://www.unfpa.org/swp/ (Transport Canada Urban Transport Shocase Program Case Study 26.3. May 2005) (Asthma Society of Canada, http://www.asthma.ca/adults/about/who-4. GetsAsthma.php) Katzmarzyk, P.T. & Janssen, I. (2004). The economic costs associated5. with physical inactivity and obesity in Canada: An update. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 29, 90-115. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/080402/dq080402a-eng.6. htm Transport Canada (2006a). The cost of urban congestion in Canada.7. Transportation Canada, Environmental Affairs. Retrieved from www.tc.gc.ca/utsp)http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp2436- rs200403-menu-166.htm#from2 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/080402/dq080402a-eng.8. htm Ibid9. City of Vancouver. Administrative Report. 2008/2009 Cycling Statistics10. Update. 17 Feb 2001. (Copenhagen 2004 transport plan; http://www.urbanaudit.org).11. (“NEW Benchmarking Londons Public Transport Systems an Interna-12. tional Comparison”http://www.mvaconsultancy.com/publications/ NEW%20Benchmarking%20Londons%20Public). (http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.13. cfm?a=264460&c=39132) Gehl Architects. (2008). “World Class Streets: Remaking New York14. City’s Public Realm.” www.cmhc.ca/15. www.chass.utoronto.ca/16. http://carfreemileend.com/17. Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking, Chicago: Planners18. Press, 2005. Wolf, K. L. 2003. Public Response to the Urban Forest in Inner-City19. Business Districts. Special Issue on Social Aspects of Urban Forestry. Journal of Arboriculture, 29, 3, 117-126. McPherson E. G. and Rowntree, R A (1993). “Energy Conservation20. Potential of Urban Tree Planting.” Journal of Arboriculture 19(6): November 1993. 321-331. http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/environ-21. ment/20050503/7/1404 http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/urban_forest/urban_forest_ben-22. efits.shtml 20 The Outdoor Living Room: Re-imagining Streets For People