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Established living environments of the Centre

Lincoln-Tupper
Lincoln-Tupper is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Montréal. The great diversity of its residents also makes it a prime example of social mix. The strong presence of institutions has long been the hallmark of this area, which includes (among others) Concordia University, Dawson College , the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the Grand Séminaire de Montréal, the Maison-Mère of the Soeurs Grises and the monastery of the Pères Franciscains. Lincoln-Tupper is home to a considerable number of students, many of whom come from abroad. The rich built heritage of the area is composed not only of institutional buildings, but also of many residential buildings. The future of the neighbourhood's many institutional sites and the enhancement of their heritage value are, along with the revitalization of Sainte-Catherine, the most important issues tied to the development of Lincoln-Tupper.

Le Quartier latin
Quartier latin is closely associated with the presence of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and the Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, which count some 40,000 students in total. This is especially visible on Saint-Denis, with its numerous restaurants, bistros and cafés. Le Quartier latin is also a hub for cultural activities with its many performance venues, including the Théâtre Saint-Denis, built in 1900. The redesign of Berri, where the Bibliothèque Nationale is currently being erected, is an important part of the area's future.

The Village
The Village is located in one of Montréal's oldest blue-collar neighbourhoods and is home to many households and families. The vitality of commercial activity along Sainte-Catherine as well as its animated nightlife are proof to the dynamism of the City's gay community. The Village is nonetheless an area in need of revitalization. The redevelopment of the Radio-Canada site, the reduction of the impact of automobile traffic and the cohabitation of residential functions with leisure activities are all important to its continued vitality.

Old Montréal
Old Montréal's historic district, a heritage treasure recognized by the Government of Québec, is, along with the Old Port, the most visited tourist attraction in the City. Over the course of the past decade, it has become more and more popular as a residential area due to the realization of numerous new developments, but especially the renovation and re-use of older buildings. The households who live in the area wish to seek a balance between its residential, recreational and tourist activities. Additionally, the links between Old Montréal and the Faubourg Saint-Laurent, cut off by the Autoroute Ville-Marie, should be re-established.

Milton-Parc
Milton-Parc boasts a desirable location between the CBD and Mount Royal. It is populated in large part by McGill University students. Milton-Parc stretches along Parc, on which most of its local retail services are located. Some of the buildings that border it are showing signs of deterioration, however. The enhancement of Parc is a key issue not only for this neighbourhood but for the entire Centre. This issue will be concretized most notably by the redesign of the Parc/Pins interchange which will offer pedestrians a far more pleasant environment.

The Flanc-Sud of Mount Royal
So great is the attractiveness of Mount Royal that Montréal's bourgeoisie called its south side home starting in the middle of the 19th century. The formidable concentration of wealth in this area earned it the name “The Golden Square Mile” around 1900. A number of institutions are clustered around the Mountain's edge, including McGill University, The Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montréal General Hospital. The Flanc-Sud still evokes a prestigious character – significantly, it is host to many foreign consulates – and carries an important natural and historic heritage that must be preserved. The growth and evolution of these institutions, the affirmation of its residential character and the improvement of the quality of its links with the Mountain are some of the issues that concern the Flanc-Sud area.

La Petite Bourgogne
La Petite Bourgogne was known as Sainte-Cunégonde until 1905. Inhabited primarily by factory workers and their families in its early days, the area was hit hard by the decline of industrial production in the middle of the 20th century. Towards the end of the 1960's, urban renewal projects resulted in the radical transformation of the area as well as its considerable decline in population. However, the renovation of old buildings, the revitalization of the Atwater Market and numerous new housing developments have breathed new life into La Petite Bourgogne. Nonetheless, the neighbourhood remains a living environment in need of a particularly strong revitalization effort.
6.1
Ensure the quality of established living environments

There are more than 43,000 households established in the various living environments of the Centre. These households have settled in a dynamic part of the City, but they must deal with certain constraints stemming from its particular character, such as automobile traffic, night-time activity, the relative absence of private green spaces and certain social realities.

With regard to automobile traffic, the Plan has adopted an overall strategy favouring increased public transit usage. Moreover, boroughs will be able to apply traffic calming measures where they are most needed after appropriate study is completed (see Section 2.2).

The scarcity of private green spaces makes access to the City's large metropolitan parks all the more important to households living in the Centre. With this in mind, the City intends to improve links between Mount-Royal Park and neighbouring areas (see Section 4.20). It also confirms the continued vocation of the existing park in the Cité du Havre.

The Plan restricts the insertion of new activities such as bars, discotheques and restaurants in the Centre's established living environments, as they have the potential to disturb the peace of a neighbourhood. In particular, the Plan projects the addition of activities complementary to residences, such as local stores, public facilities as well as personal and community services.

Far more than other living environments, the Centre is faced with social realities such as prostitution and homelessness. In order to respond to the needs of all those who live in or frequently come to the Centre, the Ville de Montréal favours a global approach including the implementation of a Stratégie de revitalisation urbaine intégrée (Integrated Urban Revitalization Strategy). Along these lines, the City's housing policy subscribes to the principle of social inclusion and favours a housing supply that ensures social diversity
(see Section 2.1).

Zoning by-laws specify the distribution of different land uses throughout the City. The Ville de Montréal will identify any additional interventions or specific actions needed to improve the quality of its living environments. For example, the southern part of the Lincoln-Tupper district will be subject to a local detailed planning effort aimed at reinforcing the commercial structure of Sainte-Catherine, among other goals.

Implementation measures

  • Minimize the impact of automobile traffic and potential nuisances.
  • Improve access to the City's large metropolitan parks.
  • Take action to enforce the criteria stated in the City's Charte des milieux de vie résidentiels (Residential Living Environments Charter) when necessary
    (see Objective 1).
  • Implement the Stratégie de revitalisation urbaine intégrée (Integrated Urban Revitalization Strategy, see Objective 1).
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