City officials in Montreal want to clean up its red-light district, targeting the notoriously X-rated area as the first site for urban renewal in the city. But many say the area's heritage and soul are worth preserving.
"The streets form a gateway to Montreal's legendary lower Main, a seedy, neon-lit strip known for activities that range from mainstream to outright illegal."
"Now, city officials have the strip earmarked for a makeover. The city has just cleared a legal hurdle to expropriate a building at the intersection that houses a peep show and other "adult" businesses. It wants to demolish the property and replace it with a $20-million cultural centre sheathed in glass and lights, a move the city hopes will take some of the XXX out of Montreal's traditional red-light district and help launch a reborn entertainment district in its place."
"'It will create an irreversible élan not just for culture, but the whole area,' said Benoit Labonté, mayor of Montreal's downtown Ville Marie borough. 'It will be the beginning of a very big phase of urban renewal.'"
"Dinu Bumbaru of Heritage Montreal says city planners have to be careful they don't throw out the baby with their urban-renewal bathwater."
"'St. Laurent is one of the most significant heritage streets in the city. It's a sinful place, but it's a soulful place too,' Mr. Bumbaru said. 'We run a risk of sanitizing it.'"
FULL STORY: Curbing the sin in Montreal's red-light district
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Duffy Threatens to Cut DOT Funds to “Sanctuary Cities”
“Follow the law or forfeit the funding” says US Secretary of Transportation.
Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.
Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)