Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to participate in a captivating discussion at the Montreal Book Fair, entitled “Making our cities beautiful again.” During this round table, the writer Laurent Lussier offered a powerful reflection on our personal relationship with beauty. He observes that while we are generally inclined to devote time and resources to beautifying the interiors of our homes, our enthusiasm and willingness to invest seems to run out of steam when it comes to beautifying our public spaces.
It is undeniable that we strive, within the limits of our abilities, to enrich and comfort our home, our family sanctuary. However, when it comes to promoting the public spaces that shape our daily environment, our attitude tends to become more reluctant, even apathetic. We are also less willing to forgive economically and aesthetically questionable choices made in an urban setting than within our own homes.
Sometimes I wonder if we are still haunted by Olympic Stadium syndrome. Like a sort of collective trauma, which slows down our desire to invest in quality infrastructure combining functionality and aesthetics. This reluctance seems to be well ingrained in our collective mind. I am sure there are many who can cite examples supporting this theory. This is why I will not insist further on this point.
As for the media where interior design shows abound, we are constantly proposing renovation ideas to beautify one corner or another of our house. But have we ever seen a program dedicated to the beauty of our public spaces? Personally, I don’t remember it. However, these spaces are where we move around daily, where we share family activities, where we meet with friends, where we do our shopping, and much more. Who could be satisfied with public places devoid of any charm and conviviality?
It is surprising to note that it only takes a few simple modifications to transform our living and passage spaces. Imagine the impact of a small urban vegetable garden on a street corner, a flower bed, a microforest in a park or even a few flourishing planters on the balcony of a duplex. It is true that some prefer the rigor of concrete and granite paving to the disordered beauty of autumn leaves strewn on the ground. During a meeting of the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie borough council, I remember a citizen who suggested, in order to save money on collecting leaves, to simply cut down the trees.
How many times have we watched a homeowner turn their yard into an expanse of asphalt that they water liberally to keep it clean? Concrete and asphalt, in their rigidity, are perceived as easier to maintain and keep clean. But in reality, it seems that illegal dumping is less common in green spaces than on concrete sidewalks. There is a natural reluctance to throw trash into a carefully flowered space. At least, we like to think so…
A particularly inspiring project recently saw the light of day in Paris under the leadership of Mayor Anne Hidalgo. In France we say “mayor” for a woman. Its “streets to schools” project offers calming spaces and safe routes to schools, while favoring nature to the detriment of traditional impermeable surfaces. These initiatives, sometimes modest, have a considerable transformative effect, enriching the life of the community, including that of traders, by creating spaces of contemplation conducive to slowing down the hectic pace of city life.
This model could serve as an inspiring example to our Minister of Transport, who is considering regulations surrounding traffic near schools.
The presence of beauty in our cities can be a powerful antidote to stress and the incessant acceleration of our daily lives. Take a moment to admire remarkable architecture, a vibrant mural by a local artist, a public art sculpture, or even to sit on a bench, surrounded by flowers and trees, while you wait for the your child’s classes. Isn’t this a moment of peace in the whirlwind of urban life?
Imagine the effect of major infrastructure that is not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing. Let’s take the example of the REM and its stations; we cannot say that they particularly beautify our urban landscape. For economic reasons, design has often been sacrificed in favor of purely utility. However, it would not take much to combine practicality and aesthetics.
I dream of the day when integrating design into the design of our infrastructure and public facilities becomes a norm. We often complain about the dirt on the streets and the ugliness that punctuates our cities. What if ugliness only attracted ugliness? If we made the effort to sow beauty on every street corner, perhaps we would witness a renewal of joy and pride in our cities, thereby transforming the behavior of city dwellers. Why not give it a try?
CEO of the Institute of Resilience and Urban Innovation, professor and associate researcher, François William Croteau was mayor of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie.