A New York-based community development organization, Project for Public Spaces, recently published a list of North America’s top neighbourhoods. The Plateau Mont-Royal is ranked 7th. An article by Nicolas Bérubé in La Presse last November explains how Project for Public Spaces (PPS) compiled its list. Here it is in full : The Plateau Mont-Royal is one of North America’s 20 best neighbourhoods in terms of quality of life, according to Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a New York-based organization that publishes an electronic newsletter sent to more than 20,000 urban planning professionals. In this rating, the Plateau ranks seventh behind districts such as New York’s East Village, San Francisco’s North Beach and Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. First place goes to Granville Island, in Vancouver.PPS spokesperson Jay Walljasper admits that the selection process is highly subjective. "Our senior staff all contributed their favourites. Every year, we visit hundreds of cities around the world. This list lets us call attention to those that stand out in our eyes."The Plateau, he explains, was selected for its open spirit. "It’s a neighbourhood where people meet each other. You don’t have to arrange to see friends, because you know you’ll run into them during the week." "The residential buildings and stores are well integrated. It’s a place to explore on foot, with inviting shops and cafés on every corner," adds Walljasper, who already showered praise on Montreal a few years ago as editor of the UTNE Reader. Compiled for the first time, this list emphasizes the ever-growing importance of neighbourhoods as a focal point of city life. Until now, urban planners have generally turned their attention to other elements, such as architecture, monuments and major intersections.Granville Island, first choice of the experts, is a former industrial area that served as a shipbuilding centre during the Second World War and was then abandoned. In the 1970s, property developers decided to redevelop the run-down installations. Today, Granville Island is a top tourist draw. (Nicolas Bérubé, La Presse) According to the PPS list, the top fifteen neighbourhoods are :
- Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia (pictured above)
- East Village, New York, NY:
- North Beach, San Francisco, CA
- Camden, ME
- Coyoacan, Mexico City
- Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA
- The Plateau, Montreal, Quebec
- Kensington Market, Toronto, Ontario
- Center City, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Fells Point, Baltimore, MD
- Lower Garden District, New Orleans, LA
- Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, FL
- Lake Street, Oak Park, IL
- 23rd Street, Portland, OR
- South Beach, Miami, FL
Michel Depatie, Executive Director of the Société de Développement de l’Avenue du Mont-Royal, was obviously flattered by the ranking. But above all, he was gratified to see the Plateau’s strengths recognized. The Plateau is a lively neighbourhood where the main attraction is the lifestyle of residents and regulars, not historical buildings or spectacular tourist attractions. "This article encourages us to keep aiming for the objective we’ve been working toward for 20 years, which is to consolidate commercial activity on the district’s main thruway in a harmonious way. More than $30 million has been invested in urban planning, cultural events and entrepreneur training to ensure that commercial activities on Mont-Royal Avenue reflect the needs of the people who shop there." The year 2005 marks the tenth anniversary of Nuit Blanche sur Tableau Noir, Montreal’s annual visual arts event where the public can watch some one hundred artists at work during four days of festivities on Mont-Royal Avenue. At the heart of the event, La Grande Fresque de Nuit, the pavement is turned into a giant canvas for a whole night, letting artists give free reign to their creativity under the eyes of thousands of interested viewers. June 9 to 12, 2005 (www.tableaunoir.com).This summer, Nuit Blanche sur Tableau Noir organizers will also launch a new event: the Ephemeral Landscapes competition. During the months of June, July and August, passers-by and tourists will be able to admire four ephemeral landscape interventions for urban spaces on Mont-Royal Avenue between St-Hubert and De Lorimier streets. Originality, a touch of humour and a concern with urban landscape mark these projects: a mini-golf circuit will wind along the Avenue, involving a number of stores, giant chairs evoking summer vacations will spark childhood memories, a membrane of golden glass will shimmer under the shifting play of natural light and a floral land use project will involve neighbourhood residents. All of these initiatives are dedicated to creating a unique shopping experience on Mont-Royal Avenue, in the heart of a lively and dynamic neighbourhood that embraces creative and exclusive events. See you on the Avenue!
