An urban design workshop is a process of idea generation and design whereby multidisciplinary teams are invited to reflect on and propose development scenarios for a given site; it is not a competition, but an exercise in reflection, discussion and idea development.
The design workshop was aimed at creative professionals wishing to contribute to improving the city of Montréal's design, and willing to engage in an experience outside the boundaries of traditional practice. Architects, urban designers, landscape architects, urban planners and other design professionals from the arts and communications fields interested in urban revitalization issues were invited to form teams and submit applications to take part in the workshop. Each team also had to include in its ranks at least one emerging designer from one or another of the above-mentioned disciplines.
A total of 22 Montréal-based multidisciplinary teams submitted applications, and four finalists were chosen by a selection committee.
In addition to the design workshop, the event featured a variety of free activities aimed at stimulating exchanges between design professionals and the general public, including the Télématon, a vox populi audio-video booth where citizens could share their ideas, as well as an idea generation workshop for Grades 5 and 6 students from École St-Étienne. The public was also invited to attend the launch of the activity and take guided tours of the district. On November 26, 2008, more than 400 people turned out to listen to and comment on the four design teams’ development proposals. The projects were later exhibited from November 29 to 30, at 5800 Rue Saint-Denis, and from December 1 to 19 at the local Accès Montréal office, at 5650 Rue d'Iberville.
Partners
The Ville de Montréal Executive Committee has assigned the Service de la mise en valeur du territoire et du patrimoine and the Borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie the task of preparing the special planning program for the site, in collaboration with the Plateau-Mont-Royal and Outremont boroughs, and the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM), which the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has designated to redevelop the properties it owns on the site.
