The Ville de Montréal announced on March 10, 2010 the launch of an ideas competition for the development of new taxi stands. Designers in all disciplines are invited to propose innovative solutions for enhancing taxi customers' and drivers' experience of this public space they share.

The existing taxi stands have many shortcomings, from the point of view of both drivers and customers. These spaces lack visibility and a specific identity, such that, from the perspective of citizens, the very concept of the taxi stand is abstract: the spaces remain to be defined, and even created in some cases. The general objective of the competition is to spur debate around, and interest in, the quality of public spaces in Montréal, and to enable designers to offer their visions for development of those spaces. The ideas competition therefore aims to nurture reflection on this issue.

The Le taxi prend ses aires! competition is one of the five shukôs, or creative challenges, that the Mayor issued during the Pecha Kucha Night for Elected Officials on September 30, 2008. It is directly in line with the ongoing commitments made by the Ville de Montréal and its partners in the Action Plan 2007–2017 – Montréal, Cultural Metropolis, the goals of which include the promotion of excellence in architecture and design. The City has launched several other design competitions in recent months, including for the development of mobile street furniture for use by festivals, the design of a new bus shelter, and the redevelopment of the area surrounding the Champ-de-Mars métro station.

About the competition

The ideas competition is anonymous and open to all design professionals, students or consortia whose main place of business is in Québec. It is a single-stage competition.

Proposals will be studied and evaluated by a jury based on the following criteria:

• The quality of the user experience and integration of the human factors that testify to a good understanding of the behaviours and perceptions of both taxi drivers and customers;
• The definition of an identity specific to these waiting/transition areas;
• The innovative qualities of the project and the contribution of creative solutions aiming to meet the needs of both drivers and customers;
• The formal and esthetic qualities of the project, its integration within the urban environment, and the atmosphere created by the planned intervention.

A maximum total prize amount of $40,000 will be distributed to the competition winners.

The total amount breaks down as follows:

• $35,000 to be distributed evenly among a maximum of five co-winners determined by the jury;
• $2,500 for the winner of the Jury Prize (selected among the co-winners);
• $2,500 for the People’s Choice (selected among the co-winners).

The jury members are:

• Jean-Guy Chabauty, Industrial Designer, Moderno;
• Michel Dufresne, Urban Planner, Groupe Cardinal-Hardy;
• Carl Gagnon, President, Imago;
• Lucy Mungiovi, Director of Convention Services, Tourisme Montréal;
• Isabelle D'Astous, Co-creative Director, Sid Lee;
• Dory Saliba, President, Proprio Taxi;
• Sylvain Villeneuve, Urban Planner, Division Chief, Urban Planning, Ville-Marie Borough, Ville de Montréal.

Substitute Jury:

• Patrick Messier, industrial designer, Messier Designers Inc., president of the Association of Canadian Industrial Designers

How to apply

Registration is free and mandatory. Each entrant must complete the form available here, by April 20, 2026. Download the competition regulations here.

Proposals must then be submitted before noon on May 18, 2010, to the following address:

Concours d’idées
Le taxi prend ses aires!
A/S de Véronique Rioux, conseillère professionnelle
Bureau Design Montréal
303, rue Notre-Dame Est, 6e étage
Montréal (Québec) H2Y 3Y8

Prospective entrants who have questions must submit them to the competition’s professional advisor, Véronique Rioux, by e-mail at [email protected], by April 20, 2010.

The design competition is being administered by the Design Montréal office of the Ville de Montréal with the co-operation of the Bureau du taxi et du remorquage de la Ville de Montréal and support from the taxi industry.