Public Spaces in a Winter City: Montreal, Canada

The following post comes courtesy of Global Site Plans' The Grid. CNU and Global Site Plans recently teamed up to syndicate Grid content, as its contingent of writers presents a view on the opportunities and issues of urbanization all across the world. CNU will carry select posts from the Grid direct on the CNU Salons.

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 Montreal is transformed by the seasons. During our hot summers, bars and terraces overflow with people, festivals bring crowds to the streets, and public spaces brim with locals and tourists.

Winter is a different story. Large public spaces that are vibrant in the warmer months, like Place-des-Arts and Place Jacques-Cartier, are virtually abandoned when the cold hits. Understandably, the snow and below-zero temperatures discourage sitting outside with no shelter.

Place-des-Arts

Exploring Montreal with my visiting friends makes me realize just how empty outdoor spaces become in the winter. Montreal is one of the most densely populated cities in North America. However, my friend who had been living in New York asked me “Are the streets always this quiet?” when he visited. It was true. As we walked through Old Montreal, we were often left alone in the public realm, with its old architecture and cobblestone roads.

Montrealers are good at taking shelter from the cold. The Underground City offers access to jobs and schools, as well as restaurants and shopping. This realm has public spaces with fountains, benches, restaurants, and cafés – and it is all heated. Shopping malls and centers abound in Montreal – sometimes they are even called “plazas.”

Montrealers are also proud of their winters and their ability to tough them out. There are many outdoor activities, including skating rinks, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and festivals like Igloofest. This outdoor rave brings folks, often dressed in ski gear, to dance to electronic music and drink warm alcoholic concoctions. However, beyond these events that successfully draw Montrealers into the streets, the public realm remains tranquil, a sharp contrast from the vibrant summer streets.

I had the opportunity to visit Copenhagen and Stockholm in December 2009. Although it was chilly and days were short, I saw a lot of street life. Streets were lined with festive lights and brightly coloured buildings brightened the streetscape; street food was plentiful (just recently re-legalized in Montreal); cafés offered blankets to their clients wishing to sit outside; and there was street entertainment every day.

Copenhagen Street Life

What can urban planners in northern cities do to infuse life into the public realm in the winter months?

To read the original post, written by Devon Willis, visit Global Site Plans.