These days Montréal is getting a lot of attention for its urbanism compared to its big city Canadian and American counterparts. The city recently rolled out a first phase of its new regional rapid transit line, REM, but the city already boasts a deep subway network. For decades, Montréal has quietly taken a different path from its North American peers, making it feel distinctly more European in its urbanism strategies and development.
Recently, Montréal has also seen a wave of street pedestrianization efforts akin to Paris, a clear cultural touchstone for the fellow francophone city. Ray Delahanty of CityNerd recently made a visit to see what all the hoopla is about and has a lot of takeaways for other North American cities.
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.