The City of Montréal, in partnership with the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec and the UNESCO Chair in Landscape and Environmental Design at Université de Montréal, is organizing an urban design workshop from October 20 to 27, 2007, as part of the preparations for the redevelopment of Place d’Armes. This in turn is part of the three-year capital works program to be undertaken as part of the Entente 2005-2008 sur le développement culturel de Montréal.

A design workshop is a process of idea generation and design most often employed ahead of the tendering stage of projects, with a view to exploring new ideas that will enrich the discussion phase and subsequently be incorporated into the development programs. The participatory nature of the workshop is also a concrete means of applying the principle of open, transparent urban planning. Being both an urban planning tool and a tool for dialogue, the process is particularly well suited to public projects in urban areas and is a communications exercise conducive to the development of shared visions.

The design workshop (sometimes referred to as an architectural charette) is a communal, dynamic process that takes place within a limited time period (about a week), during which teams of designers from a variety of disciplines are invited to develop conceptual strategies and proposals for a specific site. Various activities may be organized during the workshop to promote interaction and communication among elected officials, representatives of public administrations, promoters, designers, guest experts and the general public.

Examples here and abroad have shown the urban design workshop to be a catalyst for discussion and reflection that, when used repeatedly, helps forge a culture of creativity and a learning approach geared toward quality.

Furthermore, in proposing a form of public action that introduces the idea of perspective planning and promotes public participation and engagement, the urban design workshop is a process that contributes directly to principles of sustainable development.

More specifically, the “Imaginer la Place d’Armes” urban design workshop aims to:

• Promote a fresh perspective on this highly emblematic Montréal public space;
• Enrich the project redevelopment program;
• Encourage participation by residents and community groups in shaping the redevelopment program;
• Foster the recognition and influence of Montréal as a UNESCO City of Design.

“Imaginer la Place d’Armes” is an urban event whose agenda consists of the following main activities:

• October 20 to 25: Intensive creative workshop bringing together three teams of designers from different disciplines (e.g., urban planning, design, communications), each made up of creators from Montréal, Berlin and Buenos Aires, the three UNESCO Cities of Design.
• October 27: Public presentation of the proposals developed by the three design teams.
• October 20 to 27: Launch of a website enabling the public to follow the workshop activities in near-real time, via daily video capsules. Starting October 2, the section “Imaginez votre place d’Armes” (“Envision your Place d’Armes”) will allow one and all to express their points of view on the redevelopment of the Place by responding to questions online.
• October 20 to 25 and October 28 to 31: “Blitz exhibition” in work-in-progress format, taking place at the MONOPOLI architecture gallery.
• October 24: The “Prenez votre place!” (“Stake Your Claim”) evening, in Pecha Kucha format, bringing together urban planning and design students from Université de Montréal, Concordia University, McGill University and Université du Québec à Montréal.
• Sunday, October 21, and Sunday, October 28: Guided tours (in French only) of Place d’Armes and the surrounding area.