On November 22, about 50 people representing civil society organizations and the City of Montreal, as well as members of the public, discussed mobility and reducing car dependency. The event was organized jointly by Espace quartiers and the “Vivre avec moins de voitures” working group.
The Verdun borough hosted this meeting at its offices. In fact, it was Céline-Audrey Beauregard, a Verdun borough councilmember and a citizen committed to the ecological transition, who opened the evening’s proceedings.
Our daily dependence on cars—driven by urban planning and the symbolic significance society attaches to them—was discussed by Pauline Wolff, head of research and evaluation at Solon and director of practical training at the University of Montreal. Given the scale structural mobility challenges, eshe emphasized the importance of taking action at the neighborhood level, where we have power and influence.
Social justice and equity were the analytical frameworks used throughout the evening during thediscussions and presentations. Lucas Raimbault, from the Parc-Extension Neighborhood Council, highlighted the social and territorial inequities experienced in his neighborhood, as well as the polarization and tensions sparked by mobility projects. He also emphasized the importance of creating spaces for dialogue on these issues and bringing together people who support and oppose mobility projects.
Local initiatives to improve residents’ quality of life and reduce the harmful impact of cars and trucking have been put forward. Initiatives led by citizens, organizations, and boroughs are sure to inspire many others…!
- Vicky Saint-Pierre, Tania Konicheckis, and Francis Waddell commented on the initiatives taken by the Verdun borough and the citizen group Demain Verdun.
- Frédéric Bataille, spokesperson for the Coalition Mobilité Active Montréal, presented various initiatives developed by citizen groups in Ahuntsic.
- Émilie Joly presented Solon’s LocoMotion project, its impact, and its potential.
- Blaise Rémillard of the Montreal Regional Environment Council discussed the importance of parking mobilization, regulation, and management
TeC’s “Living with Fewer Cars” group presented its collaboratively developed framework, which aims to equip neighborhood stakeholders with the tools to design initiatives to reduce the number of cars in their neighborhoods, using an approach grounded in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. A discussion workshop with attendees helped identify potential courses of action to prevent or reduce over-motorization at the neighborhood level, as well as the barriers and enablers for achieving these goals. All of the ideas shared, along with those received during other consultation meetings, will help refine the framework to ensure that it truly addresses the realities and needs of Montreal’s neighborhoods.
As part of TeC’s ongoing efforts to share knowledge and build capacity, a summary of the presentations and discussions will soon be published on Praxis.
Thank you to everyone who took part in this event, and thank you to those who spoke and helped organize this first gathering!
