Bleu Tomate
client
Ville de Montréal, Arrondissement Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
year
2020
place
Rue Adam, Montréal
format
10000 pi2
project type
Placemaking
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough decided to redesign one of its streets to enable residents to safely enjoy the summer season.
This friendly meeting place included picnic areas and the farmers' market of Cuisine collective Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, all while ensuring that pedestrians and cyclists can coexist harmoniously. The section of residential street in front of Baril school was converted into an active safety lane (ASL). The furnishings invite visitors and residents to linger at any time, whilst maintaining social distancing as it applied at the time. A genuine shared community space, the project brightens up the landscape with its organic shapes and bright colours.
Conceptual choices
The ASL was dynamically painted in a palette of food-related colours, echoing the colours of Marché Solidaire, right around the corner. It was formally inspired by the permanent art decorating the new Baril school just across the street.
The entire layout was designed to be comforting and welcoming, which offered a moment of normalcy to the community during uncertain times.
Technical choices
The range of street furniture and floor signage were custom-designed and manufactured, specifically to enable users to maintain 2 metres of separation.
Signage on the ground is a playful reminder that these protective bubbles must be respected even by pedestrians using the picnic area.
Challenges
- Tight two-month lead times for design, manufacturing, and installation
- Limited labour availability during the pandemic
- Unpredictable price and supply of manufacturing materials during the global pandemic
- Pilot project to create an active safety lane (ASL), making it more difficult to get certain authorizations, create local partnerships, or maintain communication between different municipal departments.
- Street painting was difficult to plan and execute due to weather and asphalt quality
- Quick to install, since only a temporary street closure was required.
RESULTS
- The project was so well received by local residents and visitors that the furniture was deployed again the following summer.
- This example of pandemic placemaking caught the attention of the international community, with a publication in the Lithuanian magazine Kaunas Pilnas Kultūros.
