Cultural Quarters 2011
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CULTURAL QUARTERS Document presented to the Commission sur la culture, le patrimoine et les sports Direction de la culture et du patrimoine SEPTEMBER 2011 CONTENTS FOREWORD by Helen Fotopulos 4 1. INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 A Propitious Environment 7 1.2 Approach 7 1.3 Outlook 8 2. MONTRÉAL’S POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 10 2.1 General Presentation 11 2.2 Local Authorities and Decision-Making Bodies 11 2.3 Sharing Local Responsibilities and Cultural Quarters 12 3. BACKGROUND 14 3.1 Cultural Poles 15 3.2 From Cultural Pole to Cultural Quarter 15 4. STUDY 18 4.1 The Cultural Quarter Concept: From Theory to Practice 19 4.2 Public Policies 23 4.3 Identifying Cultural Quarters 30 4.4 The Cultural Quarter Concept for Montréal 35 4.5 Needs and Expectations 35 5. AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY 38 5.1 Local Cultural Activities 39 5.2 Event Promotion and Organization 39 5.3 Planning Programs and Transportation 41 5.4 Capital Investments 43 5.5 Management and Coordination 44 6. CONCLUSION 46 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND APPENDIX 48 Bibliography 49 Appendix 50 FOREWORD 4 Since it came to office in November 2011 and especially after the June 2002Montréal Summit, our administration has been acquiring tools to make culture a core component of citywide development. These tools include the Cultural Development Policy, the Heritage Policy, the 2007-2017 Montréal Cultural Metropolis Action Plan, an assessment of Montréal’s public library system (Diag- nostic sur le Réseau des bibliothèques publiques de Montréal), the designation “Montréal, UNESCO City of Design,” an assessment of the réseau Accès culture and the 2010-2014 Action Plan (Diagnos- tic sur le réseau Accès culture and the Plan d’action 2010-2014) and the Public Art Policy. With the eagerly awaited this fall of the Adresse symphonique concert hall and the Mon- treal Museum of Fine Arts’ Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion, this is an excellent time to: Note that a cultural metropolis must focus great attention to its downtown core and its local neighbourhoods. Present you with our document on Cultural Quarters! This document results from two years of intensive study and consultation. We are publishing our findings not only to share them with you, but to fortify and stimulate the ideas of residents and orga- nizations dedicated to high-quality development of our local neighbourhoods and our boroughs. Rather than proposing a generic model, we hope to fuel ideas for promoting the cultural enrichment of our communities. Such enrichment will draw on our communities’ histories, heritage and distinctive characteristics, along with their identities and the projects that inspire them. This document presents just a few of the many and wide-ranging perspectives on these issues! I certainly hope that you will take the opportunity offered by the sessions of the Commis- sion sur la culture, le patrimoine et les sports not only to begin or to pursue your own thinking on this topic, but to give us your feedback. Montréal and all of its population will benefit from your collective efforts! Helen Fotopulos Executive Committee Member Responsible for Culture, Heritage, Design and the Status of Women Rather than proposing a generic model, we hope to fuel ideas for promoting the cultural enrichment of our communities. 5 1 INTRODUCTION 6 A PROPITIOUS ENVIRONMENT APPROACH With implementation of the Quartier des spectacles project—which itself builds on enhancements to The Cultural Quarters project’s mission is founded in Commitment 30 of the city’s Cultural Devel- Old Montréal, the formulation of a new urban development plan for Montréal, the Québec Govern- opment Policy : “. to enrich the ability of Montréal’s to appreciate art, culture and heritage ment’s upcoming adoption of its Agenda 21 for Culture and the establishment of a worldwide network throughout the city as well as in its downtown core and to build on Montréal’s reputation as a of creatively oriented cities, the time is ripe for integrated “glocal”1 approaches to development. cultural metropolis in keeping with the identities and environments of the targeted sectors.”3 The Cultural Quarters project, with its broad goal of enriching the entire city’s cultural life, is part This document, directly derived from the Policy and Action Plan issued following Rendez- of this integrated urban planning effort2 and is spurring new opportunities for cultural development. vous November 2007 — Montréal, cultural metropolis, discusses the opportunities for and feasibility The project that was first developed in 2005 under the name “Cultural Poles” has moved on of enhancing and developing Montréal’s cultural quarters. beyond the more narrowly defined development of arts and culture to acquire a richer, more varied and decentralized focus. While continuing to promote traditional artistic and cultural values (education, creation, To enrich the ability of Montréal’s to appreciate art, production, distribution and preservation), the Cultural Quarters project also embraces the diversity of our population, nature, local lifestyles, tangible and intangible heritage, public culture and heritage throughout the city as well spaces, social meeting points, businesses, teaching and science, by drawing on a vast number as in its downtown core and to build on Montréal’s of local resources in many different areas of activity. These cultural quarters will become unique reputation as a cultural metropolis. and multi-faceted urban cultural spaces. 1 “Global” + “local” = “glocal.” Many observers believe that “glocalization” results from the Internet’s impact on globalization. 2 Integrated urban development means strategies that draw on all environments and situations. 3 Montréal (2005). Politique de développement culturel 2005-2015, p. 62. 7 The assessment process resulting in different approaches to these issues includes: OUTLOOK 1 A brief review of the political and administrative context in which the Cultural Quarters project has evolved. What will this effort yield? First, an ever-growing number of local stakeholders will sign on to the 2 Updates the “cultural quarter” concept based on the existing literature and various local Cultural Quarters project, spurring broad-based initiatives to democratize culture, in keeping with and other experiences. the Cultural Development Policy. 3 Assesses the city’s Cultural Quarters project policies and strategies. 4 Lists “existing” and “planned”4 cultural quarters based on observable grassroots realities. Two specific short-term goals are: 5 Defines the “cultural quarter” concept for Montréal. Presenting the progress of this project, which emerged from the 2007-2017 Montréal 6 Itemizes needs and expectations mentioned by the boroughs and partners from social Cultural Metropolis Action Plan at the plan’s mid-term meeting in the fall of 2012. and professional organizations. Thoughts and actions pertaining to cultural quarters could make a major contribution to Next, the results of this assessment process will be presented by the Commission sur la culture, work that will result in the 2013 adoption of the new Montréal Urban Development Plan. le patrimoine et les sports, so that it may be shared with residents so that they may consider it in greater detail. The key to this effort is making residents and visitors more attuned to and interested in the cul- We have accordingly identified more than 30 areas for further study of resources consid- tural resources of Montréal and its local neighbourhoods. ered necessary for facilitating the consolidation and development of cultural quarters. These areas pertain to local cultural activities, event promotion and organization, planning, transportation and capital investments, as well as the management and coordination of future cultural quarters. Making residents and visitors more attuned to and interested in the cultural resources of Montréal and its local neighbourhoods.. 4 We put quotation marks around the terms “existing” and “planned” because of our difficulty providing a more specific description of the status of neighbourhoods to which they refer. Both words are discussed in section 4.3 (Identification of cultural quarters). 8 9 MONTRÉAL’S POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE 2 FRAMEWORK 10 2.1 GENERAL PRESENTATION The city has consisted of 19 boroughs since January 1, 2006. Each borough has its own population mix and geographic, historic, demographic, socioeconomic and cultural features. The Island of Montréal’s municipal organization is complex and reflects its different con- stituent entities. Responsibilities are divided among the City Council, the borough councils and the Urban Agglomeration Council, which represents the island’s related municipalities. Further detail on the local powers and authorities of the City Council and the borough councils is important in understanding the Cultural Quarters project’s passage through the city administration. The Urban Agglomeration Council, on the other hand, has no direct impact on the project at this stage. 2.2 LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND DECISION-MAKING BODIES 2.2.1 CITY COUNCIL The City Council is Montréal’s primary decision-making body. It consists of Montréal’s mayor and 64 city councillors, 19 of whom are borough mayors. The Charter of Ville de Montréal5 (Loi sur les cites et villes) grants special powers to the City Council in such areas as: Urban and land-use planning. The city’s corporate and central departments are responsible for formulating a comprehensive Economic promotion, community, cultural, economic, social and environmental Montréal-wide approach to culture, recreation, leisure and parks. As part of this process, the development and transportation. Direction de la culture et du patrimoine supports boroughs seeking to enhance and develop their Waste collection and recycling. cultural quarters. Culture, recreation and parks. Social housing. 2.2.2 BOROUGH COUNCILS The municipal road system. The borough mayor and at least five other city councillors sit on the borough council. The borough Water treatment. has local responsibilities pertaining to community-based services. As listed in Montréal’s 2011 The police and fire departments. Budget, these responsibilities include:6 Towing and municipal vehicle repair.