The Centre's main axes
The Centre is structured by its main axes. The architecture of the buildings and the prestige of the activities found along them, as well as the importance of the places they link, help make these axes distinctive. They are lined with large hotels as well as imposing office and government buildings.
The image of these main axes is directly linked to that of the Centre. Unfortunately, the design and layout of many of them is hardly adequate given their prominent role. The City therefore intends to correct this situation, by proceeding with an appropriate redesign of the public domain and then supporting appropriate development on the adjacent properties.
Access to the Centre
Most of the roadways leading into the Centre were designed with traffic considerations in mind. Their planning generally failed to consider the surrounding landscapes and environments.
The City intends to implement various measures to improve the integration of important access routes with their surroundings. Significant redesign projects along these lines are foreseen for many roadways. The project completed at the landing of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge provides a good source of inspiration, as it permitted the creation of a new green space.
Implementation measures
The City intends to take every opportunity to improve the road network. To this end, it will focus its efforts on the roadways illustrated in Map 2.3.3. In addition, the City will:
- Ensure the consolidation of the Centre's commercial streets (see Objective 5).
- Place high priority on pedestrian and cycling facilities when redesigning the public realm, in accordance with the principles set out in Objective 13.
- Enhance Saint-Laurent in cooperation with multiple partners, including residents' and merchants' associations.
- Build a bikeway through the Centre (see Objective 3).
- Redesign the Parc/Pins interchange, as well as the Remembrance/Côte-des-Neiges intersection.
- Maximize the covering of the Autoroute Ville-Marie between Saint-Urbain and Sanguinet streets (see Section 4.4).
- Favour the renewal and redevelopment of sites along Notre-Dame East.
- Complete the redevelopment of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge landing.
- Adopt regulatory measures to protect views of
significant landscape features
(see Objective 11).
- Regulate the built form along the Centre's access
routes in accordance with
Objective 14.
- Relocate the Autoroute Bonaventure and convert it into a ground-level urban boulevard in order to free up the waterfront, improve access to nearby areas and develop adjacent lots.
