Montréal has been designated a UNESCO City of Design for 20 years, and the city’s approach to design and architecture is now a key element of public policy, procurement and urban development.
In June 2006, the city was accepted into the Creative Cities Network of UNESCO. It was the first North American city, and only the third in the world, to be designated at that time.
The process towards this designation started earlier. In 1991, the City of Montréal established a municipal office for design. The project helped to put design on the agenda as a public-service function, not an aesthetic one.
The city’s design bureau has taken that tack since 2006. In the last 20 years, Montréal has been the site of over 60 design and architecture competitions for public works. The competitions have included a focus on design quality and made open competitions available to a wider group of firms.
The approach has created a collection of significant civic works. These are the Biodôme and Insectarium transformations, Place des Montréalaises, the Montréal Soccer Stadium, Esplanade Tranquille, Théâtre de Verdure and the Sanaaq Centre.
Measurable results
The strategy has also been proven to be effective. After the opening of the Maisonneuve Library, the number of annual visits to the libraries of the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve increased by 91 per cent.
Montréal is now turning its focus to circular construction. The City is collaborating with industry stakeholders to map the value chains for adaptive reuse and circular economies in the building industry. The aim is to uncover obstacles to innovation and speed up the implementation of viable solutions.
The city claims its design programmes have had an impact on communities outside Quebec. For instance, one of them, Commerce Design Montréal, has been licensed in 14 cities, such as New York City, Brussels, Luxembourg, Marseille, and Detroit.
This is a sign of a greater evolution in municipal construction in Montréal. The application of design to enhance public places, help sustain the environment and meet evolving urban demands is growing. The next step will take place in the city as it works towards a more circular and resilient built environment, the city says.
