Under certain municipal programs, the City has the power to offer financial
assistance for the implementation of economic, social, housing and environmental
development strategies and objectives. Existing municipal programs primarily
relate to housing and several are the result of cooperation with the governments
of Québec and Canada (see
Section 2.1).
In order
to achieve some of the Plan’s objectives, new programs are needed
to complement existing ones. Their application will be adapted to the individual
characteristics of the boroughs, which may also choose to create their own
programs in order to meet their specific needs. Obviously, such programs should
generate more taxes over the longer term than the assistance granted, because
of their effect on the City’s tax base.
Chapter 2 discusses all of the
new programs advocated. For example, there is a financial assistance program
to promote the intensification of urban activities in the vicinity of certain
metro and commuter train stations (Objectives
2, 3, 8 and 9).
This program reflects the City’s intention to support a type of urbanization
that favours the use of public transportation in both residential and employment
areas. Needless to say, this type of assistance will also generate greater tax
returns than the assistance granted.
Another important program is for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites
in areas designated for conversion to residential or employment purposes (Objectives
2, 8, 9 and 17).
As emphasized in Chapter
1, a major development and consolidation challenge is to support the City’s
renewal in built-up areas. Specifically, the City supports radical changes in
both activities and built form in the areas to be transformed. A number of these
are likely to exhibit a certain level of contamination. Priority for allocating
funds for rehabilitating contaminated sites should be given first to the areas
to be transformed and to the sites designated for an intensification of urban
activities in the vicinity of some metro and commuter train stations.