Big Projects | Why does “green” often disappear?

Between the presentation of a major development project and the completion of the work, one “detail” often jumps out: the partial or total disappearance of green spaces. The latest example is the before/after images of the Royalmount project.

Trees as far as the eye can see, buildings with balconies overflowing with greenery, roads that are greener than grey and where more pedestrians than cars travel… The promoters of large projects often emphasize their “green” aspects to present them in their best light.

But these strategies sometimes go beyond a simple embellishment of reality.

“Saying that we are going to plant trees, using misleading representations, green colours, natural images… These are classic greenwashing techniques,” notes Julien O. Beaulieu, lawyer and lecturer in corporate social responsibility law at the University of Sherbrooke.

Many projects are using these green marketing methods. “It’s really 50 shades of greenwashingjokes Marc-André Viau, director of government relations at Équiterre.

One example that has remained etched in people’s memories is the new Turcot interchange, completed at the end of 2020. Its plans initially included a park slab, a veritable green oasis for pedestrians and cyclists, which was to span the highway lanes to connect the Parc de la falaise Saint-Jacques to the Sud-Ouest borough. It ultimately never saw the light of day, even though citizen groups still regularly try to put the project back on the table.

“Anyone who knew anything about landscaping understood that we were being given a lot to look at, but that it was horribly bad faith,” says Gérard Beaudet, urban planner emeritus and professor at the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Montreal.

Greener, more acceptable

If developers emphasize greenery in the presentation of their projects, it is above all to make them more attractive.

“People appreciate these ‘green’ aspects. In addition to the aesthetics, there are also the environmental aspects with carbon capture, biodiversity, water flow. It’s also good for mental and physical health. And it increases the economic value of the project,” lists Christian Messier, professor of forest management and biodiversity at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

But sometimes this marketing strategy can slide into dishonesty, experts note.

This is particularly true for large developments that are questionable from an environmental point of view. “We take controversial projects and put a green varnish on them to facilitate social acceptability,” explains Christian Savard, general director of Vivre en Ville.

The cost of the environment

In “honest” cases, why does this greenery not see the light of day?

“In the final plans, it is sometimes impossible to realize the initial intentions,” emphasizes Catherine Fernet, president of the Association of Landscape Architects of Quebec (AAPQ). The reasons are multiple: lack of space, technical or budget constraints, etc.

But above all, “green” often comes after the rest. “We tend to relegate landscaping to the end of the process in the construction of a project,” explains Gérard Beaudet.

This is particularly the case with the Royalmount. When it was presented, the project was supposed to include green roofs; but in early September, it was finally delivered without them.

In an email, developer Carbonleo explained that “green roofs and vertical gardens will appear in the next phases, once the residential component of the project is launched.”

“But very often, we find ourselves short of money at the end of the project,” sighs Gérard Beaudet.

Greenery… in 30 years

Sometimes the trees are there, but you can’t see them. Or at least, not yet.

Opened in July 2023, the REM Panama station is a good example of this scenario. The trees have indeed been planted, in accordance with the initial plans, but they are still small.

“Very often, when the project is completed, no effort is made to maintain these trees afterwards,” laments Christian Messier.

Reversing the trend?

Even if embellishing a project to make it more attractive is a method “as old as architecture”, according to Christian Savard, the latter speaks of an increasingly marked trend.

“The environment is taking up more and more space in the presentation of projects, and that’s a good thing. But we now need to ensure that what is presented comes to fruition, and that the concepts presented have a real environmental benefit,” insists Marc-André Viau.

For Catherine Fernet, the solution lies partly in the hands of the public authorities. “The regulations would have to be changed to require all forms of construction to have a certain amount of plant area,” she suggests.

Green before the rest

Another option would be to involve a landscape architect from the start of the project, because they have “no interest in exaggerating the amount of vegetation,” notes Catherine Fernet.

“It’s his reputation that’s at stake,” she adds.

Except that sometimes, he is asked to produce images of a project, without having all the elements in hand to make them realistic.

“If we really want to promote sustainable development in a project, we must identify the technical, space and budget constraints from the start,” she lists. “It’s only by working as a team that it can work.”

The good news, according to Véronique Fournier, general director of the Centre d’écologie urbaine, is that these excesses are increasingly being pointed out. And therefore are less easily accepted.

“Public opinion is much more critical, sensitive and demanding about the quality of projects,” she observes. “Today, it is more difficult to bring one with a strong tendency towards greenwashing.”