Stéphane Boyer may be mayor of Laval, a city that has developed around cars, shopping centers and bungalows, but he still dreams of creating neighborhoods free of car traffic. In a book to be published on Tuesday, the 34-year-old elected describes the neighborhoods he imagines: greener and safer, where the car would no longer be king.
From 15 to 25% of the surface of the cities is used to build roads. And that’s not counting the parking spaces needed for vehicles that, 95% of the time, are stationary. These bitumen infrastructures, in addition to creating heat islands, are expensive to build and maintain.
It is on these premises that Stéphane Boyer began his reflection four years ago, when he was a municipal councilor. “We had started revising Laval’s urban plan. We wondered if we could make cities differently, not just adapt our ways of doing things or modify regulations, but think of a different way of building cities,” explained the mayor in an interview.
Reduce bitumen surfaces
What if, for new residential developments, we eliminated the streets and parking lots that are so expensive? In Car-free neighborhoodspublished by Éditions Somme tout, Stéphane Boyer describes at length how new neighborhoods could emerge according to a different model that would allow for densification while creating more attractive living environments.
As a first step, eliminating local streets, parking spots and garages would result in big space savings and reduce the cost of ownership for future buyers, he argues. The distance between buildings would be reduced at the same time, which would promote active transportation. With tree-lined walkways, kids could play wherever they want, without worrying about cars. In this regard, some images from the book are idyllic.
The mayor proposes “neighborhoods on a human scale” which would include buildings of different sizes, but which would not exceed five floors, because, beyond this threshold, “the general atmosphere of the district deteriorates”, he writes. This neighborhood could even have single-family homes. But the concept, inspired by projects carried out in Europe, including the Vauban district in Germany, does not eliminate the car completely, because parking lots would be provided on the outskirts for residents’ vehicles and self-service cars. Pedestrian walkways could accommodate, when necessary, emergency vehicles or delivery trucks. An efficient public transport service to link neighborhoods together is “fundamental”, he stresses.
Not an anti-car
“I am aware that Laval was developed around the car, that launching this idea may seem radical for a mayor of Laval and that not everyone is going to adhere to it, recognizes Stéphane Boyer. I am aware that there are people who will think that I am against cars. But I’m not against cars. What I really want to do is find the right solutions. »
Moreover, he says, there is no question of razing existing neighborhoods. “If we want it to be a success, we have to take the time to embark on the project. In my opinion, it’s much easier to start with a new neighborhood. The people who will choose to settle in this neighborhood will do so knowingly. »
The mayor also makes a distinction between the car-free neighborhoods that he proposes and the eco-districts that already exist or are under development, which rely more on buildings with a low environmental footprint than on economic and social issues. In Laval, the reign of the car creates a certain urgency. “In Laval, 70% of our greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to transportation. Across Quebec, it’s 45%. So, yes, having more energy-efficient buildings can improve our bottom line, but it’s relatively marginal compared to transportation,” he explains.
Several large sectors remain to be developed in Laval, in particular between the sectors of Saint-François and Duvernay-Est, and large shopping centers will have to be redeveloped, he continues. “Do we really want to redo the same model that we have been doing for 50 years with all the problems that we know it generates? Or we want to think outside the box and do it differently. »
Stéphane Boyer believes that promoters would be interested in such a concept, a product that could be “unique”. “Would 100% of the population be ready for the idea? Probably not, but I’m sure there’s a certain section that would like to live in that kind of neighborhood. »
The preface to the book was signed by the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, another representative of the new generation of mayors who took power across Quebec on November 7th.
If Stéphane Boyer has some apprehensions as for the reception which his book will receive, he insists to say that “it is necessary to start to sow the idea” and to cause a reflexion. “I expect the book to make waves. You can’t make omelettes without breaking the eggs. But I believe that by explaining the idea and if we can succeed in Laval in achieving a first — or even two — neighborhood without cars, by seeing it, people will adhere to the idea.