This text is part of the special Research section
Burying traffic lanes to use the Metropolitan Autoroute deck as a huge urban vegetable garden and creating a park where pedestrians and cyclists alike could circulate: this is Albert Mondor’s vision. Biologist, horticulturist and communicator, the owner of Jardins d’Albert took part in the course on sustainable development and management by Rafael Ziegler. “The students loved it. We decided to do other projects with him,” says the professor.
Transportation is the main cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec. “We talk a lot about electric cars, but we also have to rethink mobility infrastructure,” says Rafael Ziegler, professor in the Department of Management at HEC Montreal. It is to feed the debate around these that a new think tank has been set up.
Thinking about change
The Alliance for Innovation in Urban Mobility Infrastructure (Alliium) was thus born. With professors from Polytechnique Montréal (public mobility), Concordia (materials), HEC Montréal (public administration), UQAM (major projects) and INRS (phytotechnology), the group aims to promote ideas audacious with key actors, in collaboration with actors in the field.
“We wanted to include several skills to create a place to discuss solutions around important issues for Montreal,” notes Mr. Ziegler, who is a member of Alliium’s research committee. Since transportation is the main cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec, it is urgent to think about change outside the usual frameworks. “The highways are a bit like the urban manifestation of this challenge,” he adds.
The approach used by the Alliance is that of backcasta planning method that starts from a utopian vision, different, but desirable, and then works backwards to find the changes and actions needed to achieve them. “It’s an interesting way to work with partners from the practices, which have real needs, but not necessarily the time and resources for these reflections”, notes Mr. Ziegler.
In addition to the Jardins d’Albert, the Alliium also brings together the Montreal Regional Council for the Environment and the Kheops research consortium. The project is supported by funding from the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on the Operationalization of Sustainable Development. This type of action research is interesting both for the partners, who benefit from the research, and for the students and researchers, who better understand the real issues in the field. “As an entrepreneur and communicator, I’m learning a lot of things,” says horticulturist Albert Mondor. But I can’t wait for this knowledge to be passed on to the public and used by the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ). It’s a long process. »
A utopian vision
Although the Alliium is interested in several mobility projects (REM, Décarie), the think tank’s flagship project is the requalification of a portion of the Metropolitan Autoroute, between Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Provencher. Métropoligne 40 is the proposal imagined by Albert Mondor, originally as part of an exhibition at the Biosphere. “I wanted to give another life to the metropolitan highway; it’s a real scar in the Montreal landscape,” he says.
The MTQ does not plan to completely replace the structure, but a major rehabilitation project is planned to extend the life of the highway by approximately 25 years. However, the Alliance wishes to make bold proposals for the future, and submitted a notice to the MTQ last October.
“We, what we would like, would be to be seated at the round table and work with the MTQ,” indicates Mr. Mondor. “And by then, we should integrate more plants around the highway”, continues the one who also has a bachelor’s degree in biology, noting that these plants would reduce the impact of the renovations.
Making everyone’s voices heard
To the first scenario of Métropoligne 40 will be added three others developed in consultation with local residents, local businesses, citizens and public bodies. “It has been observed that infrastructure planning is often done by men from very technical perspectives, with a concentration on the acceleration of travel, and less on the aspects of mobility and the well-being of citizens”, notes Lya Porto. , postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in sustainable development at HEC Montréal. Women as visible minorities rarely have a voice in these processes. Participatory, civic and inclusive planning is therefore at the heart of Alliium’s approach.
The scenarios will be developed from secondary data on transport (socio-economic profile of users and local residents, typology of trajectories, etc.). “We want to understand the mobility profile of users, like that of local residents”, specifies Mme Port. Interviews with local actors as well as an analysis of the literature will complete the data collection strategies, which will serve as a basis for building the scenarios, which will then be discussed with a participatory group. “It’s the idea of backcast, that is to say, to give space to the expression of different interests. We want to leave room for citizens,” explains Mr. Ziegler.
The Alliance is currently in the preliminary research stages. The other three scenarios should be developed this summer, and the pilot workshops should take place this fall.
Even if these proposals seem extravagant, they are realistic, say the specialists. “It’s totally doable! We did it elsewhere, like in Boston, with the Big Dig,” recalls Mr. Mondor.