Civic Assets Report by Andréa Savard-Beaudoin

The CivicAssets Project Phase 1 Report by: THE COMMONS INC

to: J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

date: January 23, 2015

© 2015 The Commons Inc The Commons Inc., 372 Ste Catherine St W #414, Montreal QC, H3B 1A2, Canada www.thecommonsinc.com info@thecommonsinc.com All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or in any means – by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of The Commons Inc. Conceived, researched and developed by: Project Leads: Talia Dorsey, Fabrizio Gallanti, LoriAnn Girvan, John Knechtel Project Team: Andréa Savard-Beaudoin, Fabrizio Furiassi, Nazanin Naeini, Jonathan Tremblay With the gratious ideological and intellectual contributions of our colleagues within The J.W. McConnell Foundation, Cities for People, The Knight Foundation and the Municipal Arts Society of New York. Body text font: Cartier Cartier is a family of serif old style typefaces designed by Carl Dair in 1967, who was commissioned by the Governor General of Canada-in-Council to create a new and distinctively Canadian typeface. The first proof of Cartier (in Roman and Italic faces) was published as «the first Canadian type for text composition» to mark the centenary of Canadian Confederation. In 1977 a revival of Cartier was produced under the name Raleigh by Robert Norton. This typeface was later redesigned by Canadian typographer Rod McDonald in a digital format. McDonald’s Cartier family removed inconsistencies in the baseline weight, and streamlined the stroke angles to enforce a strong horizontal flow.[2] His work was a form of homage to the validity of Dair’s original design, which was incomplete and plagued with weight, stroke, and grid issues because Dair insisted that the type foundry not refine the face.[3] Thank you: On behalf of the Civic Assets Team and related parties, The Commons Inc. would like to sincerely thank the McConnell Foundation for the intellectual, personal and financial support they have demonstrated for the Civic Assets Project as well as the progressive development of our cities.

Table of Contents

Preface

Classifying Civic Assets

Contemporary Case Studies

Pilot Projects

Knowledge Mobilization Bibliography

On Civic Assets 4 Project Introduction 6 Understanding Civic Assets 11 Contextualizing Civic Assets 13 Insert: Re-Imagining the Civic Commons 15 17 The Civic Assets Catalogue 18 Strategic Characteristics 20 Strategic Characteristic Typologies 22 Insert: Demolition by Neglect 27 Next Steps: The Civic Asset Index 30 Insert: The National Civic League’s Civic Index 33 Next Steps: The Platform 34 Insert: T-Spoon Open Source Urbanism - CITYHOUND Platform 35 41 Maison Alcan 42 Empress Theatre 43 Negro Community Centre (NCC) 44 Velodrome / Biodome 45 Kabane 77 46 Chateau Viger 47 Wellington Tower 48 NDG Food Depot 49 51 Pilot Project Approach 52 Sherbrooke Street: A Methodological Test Case / Proposal 53 Step 1: Identifying Urban Legacy & Potential 54 Step 2: Identifying Sites of Opportunity 64 Insert: Corridart 66 Step 3: Strategic (Pre)development 74 Insert: Universite aux Cent Clochers 76 79 Constellation of Players and Projects 80 Key Events and Expansion Initiatives 81 83

On Civic Assets

The maps of most Western cities carry the legacy of a fundamental tenet: building communities requires community buildings. Long before cities began to zone for land use, or craft comprehensive plans, people came together to build the collective infrastructures necessary to support their evolving needs. Social innovators and urban reformers of the day tackled poverty, poor health and social isolation by creating places of learning, engagement and support. These central amenities laid the groundwork for urban growth, and with urban growth came their expansion and extension into networks and into new facilities, critical to the cities’ capacity to compete economically, and to educate, care for, entertain and assimilate their growing number of citizens. From recreation clubs to churches to public libraries to post offices, whether developed by civic-minded citizens or constructed and operated through the public coffers, these “civic assets” founded the physical, social and financial fabric of a city and often still remain the emotional heart of the neighborhoods in which they reside. However, changing demographics, aging facilities, and declining public investment have meant that many of these assets are no longer viable in their original form - whether it be due to economic, urban or social pressures. Owners and users are generally left in the position of strategizing new lives for them or leveraging their remaining value towards

maximal financial return. This burden of choice is especially difficult for municipalities with whom much of the ownership of civic assets rests. When faced with buildings with capital backlogs, negative operating revenues, shifting liability and risk challenges, and obsolete or oversized building layouts, officials must either imagine and prove that another use will meet city goals while still supporting fiscal responsibility, or extract the highest price for the asset. Given the character of the pressures, the latter is in many cases the most frequent of paths - easing deficits in both the capacity for imagination and for financing in one fell swoop. In most cases however, the unfortunate cost of such an exchange, is the integrity of the civic function of these properties. If we understand the coherence of our urban fabric to be founded upon these assets, then the loss of their civic function represents its erosion. Though felt implicitly and explicitly depending, community expectations to be at the table when the fate of a local asset is being determined have never been higher. The steady proliferation of “Friends of...” and “Save the...” groups is proof of the passion that residents have when a longstanding facility is threatened. Neighborhood self-esteem and confidence in the future take a collective fall when a local asset disappears – physically or functionally. Moreover, as evidenced by recent work such as the extensive Soul of the

Community survey1 (funded by the Knight Foundation), there are measurable connections between a city’s local economic growth and its residents’ emotional attachment to its social networks and perceived beauty. While there are examples and policy precedents in the Canadadian context for leveraging public assets to serve community needs and facilitate investment in their sustainability and civic function, these efforts remain disconnected and are often impeded by cumbersome bureaucratic processes - like surplus property procurement - and approvals across different levels of government. Most problematic is that the transfer or disposal of a public asset is often catalyzed by the obsolescence of its current use rather than driven by the potential of its next generation functions, leaving very little time or opportunity for imaginative repositioning or the mobilization of support. There are instances however, where enlightened stakeholders and local coalitions have come together to successfully redevelop a civic asset with new purpose - building pride, reinvigorating the community with cultural, social or educational services, and providing for long-term stewardship. The success of many of these efforts is often rooted in their ability to mobilize local activism and attract funders connected to the building’s purpose or the neighborhood or city where it is located. This model is limited however, as

communities such as low-income neighborhoods or areas undergoing rapid change often lack the coordinated political power or financial wherewithal to mount this kind of effort. These are often the communities in most need of sites of service, engagement, and pride, and it is these residents most likely to be excluded from determining the future of the buildings in their neighborhoods. Conversely, sites of rapid growth and high urban pressure often make for real estate values that dwarf the recognition of the more abstract values inherent in an asset. Certain values such as architectural heritage are equipped with legislative mechanisms to protect them, however civic legacy, if not the asset itself, remains unprotected and vulnerable in the face of such forces. However, just as in the impoverished neighborhood case, the imperative for the presence and continuity of civic functions and assets is equally critical within economically booming districts, for they are essential to the balanced growth, health and integrity of a city and its people. Whether ‘top-down’ or ‘bottom up’, public or private, impoverished or booming, ultimately what is missing is a thoughtful collective discourse that recognizes that while civic assets are locally rooted and of many varying species, they are nevertheless a family: an asset class essential to urban vitality that encompasses multiple building types, ownership and jurisdictions.

Notes: 1 http://www.soulofthecommunity.org/overall-findings/

Civic puts an emphasis on the idea of citizenship, therefore introducing notions of urbanity. Important notions also connected to the idea of community.

Etymology: mid 16th century: from French civique or Latin civicus, from civis 'citizen'. The original use was in civic garland, crown, etc., translating Latin corona civica, denoting a garland of oak leaves and acorns given in ancient Rome to a person who saved a fellow citizen's life. Asset has to deal with notion of usefulness and values, therefore one could identify a convergence between the two terms aiming that a civic asset is an object that has an usefulness for the community. (OED: (usually assets) An item of property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.)

Etymology: mid 16th century (in the plural in the sense ‘sufficient estate to allow discharge of a will’): from an Anglo-Norman French legal term, from Old French asez ‘enough’, based on Latin ad ‘to’ + satis ‘enough’.

Project Introduction

ment frameworks. In the face of rapidly evol- Identifying Civic Assets ving urban change, it challenges contemporary A core dimension of the Civic Assets Project uni-dimensional modes of value attribution, to is to establish the recognition of Civic Assets, assert - through both theory and practice - the as such. This will be pursued through actively latent value found within the interconnection stimulating discourse across multiple platforms; creating a taxonomy of assets; and They are the transit stations, the post offices, of the social, physical and economic dimencataloguing a number of precedent projects, the schools, the libraries, the churches, the cof- sions of certain real estate assets. fee houses, the sports halls, et al that through It is a project to create a progressive develop- policies and platforms that might support an their location and primal function have served ment model that might leverage each of these articulated framework for future designation to cross-cut the multiple social strata of a our dimensions towards a greater whole, and in so and development. urban centres, generating places that were doing manifest the unique legacy and potenopen to all, that belonged to all, and that have tial of our Civic Assets. Programming Civic Assets served to connect all - through both time and Rigorous precedent and contemporary place. case study analyses will form the basis The value of these assets are often manifold. of a methodological framework for civic Because these assets served primary civic programming. Pilot projects will serve functions, they are often historic properties, as the testing ground for reading proand because they emerged from and served grammatic capacity and analysing market central needs, they are often strategically feasibility for certain strategic civic assets. positioned within urban centres. This, towards developing scalable and replicable development models for the While the frameworks that recognize the asset class. value of these exemplary facets are well established - heritage conservation and the real estate market, respectively - what remains Developing Civic Assets underdeveloped are the frameworks by which The CAP is designed to acquire and deto recognize, preserve and perpetuate their velop a portfolio of civic assets in Canada civic value, or in other words, the role they and the USA. Working in partnership with played (and might continue to play) within the leading international designers, develformation and functioning of our civic society opers, and entrepreneurs, The CAP will and social fabric. align the portfolio assets with a renewed The Civic Assets Project is thus designed to fill commercial and civic role to reassert each this void within our contemporary developlocation at the centre of civic life. The Civics Assets Project is centred upon the recognition, preservation, and repositioning of a particular class of real estate assets that have played a central role in the weaving of our urban fabric and civic society.

Gestating the Project

Project Development Overview

The long term intention of the Civic Assets Project is to establish a robust construct for the ongoing financing; development; and management of civic assets, within an increasingly aware and participatory cultural climate. This of course demands incremental development to articulate the development frameworks for the project, and to establish a platform for contin ued outreach and knowledge mobilization. Though the report that follows is centred only on Phase 1, the gestation of the Civic Assets Project is envisioned to comprise three (relatively) sequential phases. The primary objectives of the gestation period are: 1. to pursue extensive precedent and contemporary case study analyses in order to explore and define the many facets of the project; learn from innovative and best practices, and ground the project within appropriate policy, process and development contexts 2. to assert the notion of Civic Assets into public discourse, and mobilize a network of affiliate institutions, experts, communities and partners around the project 3. to develop targeted pilot projects as a means of generating and testing foundational and replicable methodologies for the classification, programming, financing and operating of Civic Assets

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

Knowledge Mobilization

ESTABLISHING THE DISCOURSE & KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM

TARGETED EXPOSURE & OUTREACH

PARTNER & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

MODELS & METHODOLOGIES

Classification & Policy

Financing & Programming

Operation & Sustainability

Case Studies & Pilot Projects

AQUISITION & COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS

STRATEGIC PROGRAMMING & FINANCIAL MODELLING

TENANT STRUCTURE & SPATIAL DESIGN

Classification methodology and policy development strategy

Financing models and articulated programming methodologies

Operational models and methodologies for sustaining civic performance

Civic assets knowledge platform & network of key partners

Replicable & scalable development frameworks

Implementation-ready pilot projects

Classifying Civic Assets

The core of the Models & Methodologies and investigate their abstract and inhedevelopment in Phase 1 was directed rent characteristics (eg. relationship to towards defining the territory, boun- urban fabric; relationship to similar asdaries and classification of Civic Assets set types; scale of influence; etc). This as a real estate class, as much as civic was pursued as a means of identifying infrastructure. their strategic potential as assets, tyOur interest was to not only catalogue pologies, and ultimately as a collective Civic Assets through simple typologi- infrastructure. cal classification, but to further define

Understanding Civic Assets: Instincts and Axioms

What defines a Civic Asset? Civic Assets are defined by the aggregate of their built value, their programmatic value, their social value and the legacy generated through these multiple layers of value through time.

The Infrastructure of the Collective

Civic Assets provide(d) society with space and activities, crucial to the development of a collective civic identity, supporting education, health, urban safety, distribution of goods and in general incarnating the sites where full deployment of citizen’s rights was and is possible. Atwater Library The Atwater Library in Montreal is the oldest subscription library in Canada and also the first and last surviving Mechanics Institute, a non profit organization founded in 1821 in Scotland with the objective to provide adult education, especially to working men.

Aggregate (Urban) Intelligence

Civic Assets are not coincidental nor incindental to the urban fabric, but rather one of the fundamental infrastructures that shaped its formation. They are the active builders and remnants of our collective urban intelligence and carry to this day, an inherent connection to human and community usage patterns and priorities within the city. ‘Montreal from the Mountain’ (Edwin Whitefield, 1852) From the river to the mountain, one can read the story of Montreal’s urban growth and evolution through the intelligence, legibility and patterns of its Civic Assets.

The Agnosticism of the Civic

Civic Assets resist simplic classification such as ‘public’. Commercial private entreprises can become Civic Assets, when their open and public nature makes them become focal points of convergence for multiple communities and users. Schwartz’s Deli Schwartz’s - Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen - an expression of Montreal’s vibrant Jewish culture, has become an icon and institution within the city, attracting locals and international visitors alike.

Receptacles of Evolving Priorities

Civic Assets allow citizens to project on them their own desires and needs, generating multiple and diverse appropriations and allowing for the expression of diversity. Montreal has a long tradition of spontaneous and DIY use of sites and public spaces, constantly re-invented by different communities. Le Champ des Possibles, Mile End Remnant terrains of the train infrastructure of Montreal has become spontaneously occupied as a wilde park, revealing and exploiting its contemporary potential as a green space.

Civic Intangibility

Civic Assets are defined as much by their immaterial and intangible meaning(s) as their physical presence and connection to the urban fabric. The experience of them and their place within the collective psyche and imagination of the city and its citizens define the civic character of a place. Quartier des Spectacles Some cities, as Montreal, are characterized by their capacity for ephemeral happenings and the collective memory of past events (Expo ‘67 or the 1976 Olympic Games) .

Contextualizing Civic Assets: From Civic Commons to Civic Infrastructure

The Civic Commons is comprised of multiple dimensions - from the physical to the digital, and from the urban to the social to the economic. New infrastructures are emerging in support of the resurgence of interest, prioritization and recognition of its potential (eg. share economy platforms; open government instruments; etc).

These Assets however, not only represent a physical infrastructure that might be deployed within the ‘space’ of the Civic Commons, but also a strategic opportunity for the public interest. As they are by and large, greatly underperforming, they carry high degrees of latent potential and value.

the potential they might represent within a larger, coherent conception of a strategically designed urban whole/system. How does one create the conditions that will maximize the value of these assets?

The answer begins with conceiving Civic Assets as a highly strategic infrastructure* that might deliver and receive benefits Every city has a collection of civic assets from a physically/urbanistically reified created over many years that are underCivic Commons, and root its ongoing performing. Many have become obsolete. growth, value and evolution deeply withMost were never designed to deliver mul- in the fabric of the city. tiple benefits. Programming is not always matched with emerging citizen interests. * i.e. a connected, aligned, strategic set of assets delivering new value where the And all of these assets are managed in whole is greater than the sum of its parts. silos.

These strategic developments however, have thus far been most actively developed within the (more nimble) media of digital space. What remains still nascent is how this potential might be harnessed, prioritized and positioned within the physical space of our cities; and how this might contribute to their greater viability, Cities are operating on such a thin edge, livability and prosperity. and they need to squeeze all the value Civic Assets represent a key potential out of every asset they have. But today, towards this because of the legacy of their public officials face an incoherent set of societal role(s), their place within our civ- demands from multiple stakeholders and ic psyches, and their inherently strategic can’t explain in a transparent way how positions within the urban fabric. these resources are being deployed, nor

related insert

Re-Imagining the Civic Commons

Phase 1 of the Civic Assets Project was developed in concurrence with a related project - ‘Re-Imagining the Civic Commons’ - developed by the Municipal Arts Society of New York and supported by the Knight Foundation. Conversations and ideas were relayed throughout the development of the

projects, particularly during a shared thinktank retreat on Wasan Island, Ontario during which themes of mutual interest were explored. (see pages XXXX for more details) The following is a summary of the findings of their project.

DRAFT “The downtown of any city is its civic commons.” – Michael Smith, President and CEO, Charlotte Center City Partners Building City Performance through a Re-Imagined Civic Commons Across America, cities of every size have physical places that are the result of decades of collective investment, creating shared opportunities for urban citizens to learn, create, and pursue livelihoods. Together, these places are a city’s civic commons, the backbone of urban life. However, in most cities today many of those traditional elements of the civic commons are underperforming. In some cases they were initially conceived and designed for a different era of use, when there were limited private options, and urban populations were more concentrated and development more dense. As a result, existing civic assets are often not programmed in ways that meet the contemporary needs of city dwellers. These assets are crucial to the economic and social health of their city, but when faced with other pressing demands, investing in their civic commons is not always seen by civic leaders as a pressing need. For example, local government spending on parks in New York City as a proportion of the city’s total budget has steadily declined over decades, by 2000 representing a meagre .52 percent (down from 1.5 percent in the 1960s). Further, decades of suburbanization have weakened cities’ civic commons, as consumers, and the development industry that cater to them, have prioritized private over shared: yards over parks, cars over transit and private amenities over public ones. With less people, less taxes and less economic integration, many cities are left with a collection of assets and burdened city budgets.

Cities: Where Opportunity Meets Place Executive Summary

But now, with a return of greater numbers of people to cities, there is an emerging mismatch between the civic assets a city has to offer in its civic commons, and what its citizens – and its economy and social life – actually need.

DRAFT

To ﬁll this gap ‘hybrid spaces’ operated by the private, institutional and community sectors have emerged. Coffee shops, arts and maker spaces and co-working hubs are the ‘third places’ enabling a wide variety of opportunities for urban citizens to spontaneously interact in ways that are critical to enabling innovation.

1 Steve Jobs, on the design of the Pixar Studio, as quoted by Marc Dunkelman, The Vanishing Neighbor, 2014.

Supported by The Knight Foundation

“Creativity comes from spontaneous, from random discussions. You run into someone, you ask what they’re doing, you say “Wow,” and soon you’re cooking up all sorts of ideas…. …”1 – Steve Jobs, Inventor. With the addition of these other spaces, cities need to adopt a coordinated, integrated strategy that connects all their civic assets across

Re-Imagining the Civic Commons

Cities: Where Opportunity Meets Place

DRAFT

DRAFT systems, regardless of their ownership, to create an aligned and connected civic commons that urban dwellers can easily and productively navigate. New technology has the potential to support this metamorphosis, and enable the kinds of strategic and spontaneous interactions that generate wealth and civic innovation.

systems, regardless of their ownership, to create an aligned and connected civic commons that urban dwellers can easily and productively navigate. New technology has the potential to support this metamorphosis, and enable the kinds of strategic and spontaneous interactions that generate wealth and civic innovation.

“To me the giant challenge that we face in dealing with all this is how do you go about creating these spaces that happen naturally and organically? How do you create and design and orchestrate them so that they don’t appear to be designed, created and orchestrated?” – Civic Commons stakeholder, Charlotte.

2 Mark Dunkelman, The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community. WW Norton, 2014.

A new paradigm is emerging, a new understanding of a connected civic commons that harnesses new technologies, and leverages new resourcing, management and operations models that reﬂect current and future civic needs, and the dynamism of contemporary urban economies.

City governments can get ahead of this transition, and lead it, to earn a competitive advantage for their city, grow investment opportunities and attract and retain talent, with relatively modest investments and creative planning in partnership with those private, institutional and community partners who are creating shared places to put their innovative ideas to work. Facing budget constraints, a connected civic commons offers a city government opportunities to save money, ﬁnd economies across previously siloed city allocations, and identify opportunities to invest earlier in shared services and places that avoid costs later.

“The systems we now depend on to drive economic growth, steer the ship of state, and support those in need were all designed to work in conjunction with a society structured like the colonial villages…the idea that our problems stem from a mismatch between the rhythms of contemporary life and a series of institutions designed for an earlier age should encourage optimism”.2 – Marc Dunkelman, Sociologist.

A connected civic commons means:

• establishing new linkages between shared spaces, through shared digital and analog platforms; • using smart technologies that coordinate use and services; • finding efficiencies through new kinds of co-locations; • adaptively reusing existing buildings in ways that make spaces more flexible and dynamic and the designing of new spaces that integrate unexpected mixed uses that guarantee a diverse user base; • rethinking resourcing plans that better leverage staff skills and expertise but are more flexible and adaptive; • and harnessing the leadership and talents of community leaders, entrepreneurs and artists as programming curators and service deliverers.

Re-Imagining the Civic Commons

Cities: Where Opportunity Meets Place

2 Mark Dunkelman, The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community. WW Norton, 2014.

Re-Imagining the Civic Commons

Cities: Where Opportunity Meets Place

The Civic Assets Catalogue The Civic Assets Catalogue is an attempt to identify and categorize the diversity and variety of buildings, sites and infrastructure that constitute the civic fabric of a city.

Civic Asset Typologies

AMPHITHEATRE

COURT HOUSE

MOSQUE

SANATORIUM

ARENA

CUSTOMS HOUSE

MUSEUM

SEWAGE PLANT

ARMOURY

DAYCARE CENTRE

PARK

SILO

ELECTRICAL STATION

PARLIAMENT

SEMINARY

FIRE STATION

POOL

SOCIAL CLUB

HIGH SCHOOL

POST OFFICE

SPORTS CLUB

HOSPITAL

PUBLIC BATH

SQUARE

HOTEL

POLICE STATION

STADIUM

INCINERATOR

PRIMARY SCHOOL

SYNAGOGUE

INSTITUTE

PIER

THEATRE

LIBRARY

PRISON

TRAIN STATION

COMMUNITY CENTRE

LIGHTHOUSE

ROAD

UNIVERSITY

CONCERT HALL

MARKET

RESERVOIR

WAREHOUSE

CONVENT

METRO STATION

RESTAURANT

WATER TREATMENT

BANK CANAL CATHEDRAL CHAPEL CHURCH CITADEL CITY HALL CLINIC COLLEGE

Se If

Civic Asset Categories

CITADEL

CUSTOM HOUSE KINDERGARTEN

ARMOURY PRISONS

INCINERATORS

SEMINARY HIGH SCHOOLS

COURT HOUSE FIRE STATIONS CANALS

ELECTRICITY RESERVOIRS

DOCKS

UNIVERSITIES PRIMARY SCHOOLS

POLICE STATIONS

ROADS SEWAGE

SILOS

WATER

COLLEGES

CITY HALL LIBRARY

POST OFFICES

WAREHOUSE

PARLIAMENT

METRO STATION

TRAIN STATION

MUSEUM

ASYLUM HOSPITALS INSTITUTE

LIGHTHOUSE

CONCERT HALL AMPHITHEATRE

THEATRE

Op STADIUM

SQUARE

ARENA PARKS POOLS

SECURITY

KNOWLEDGE

RELIGIOUS

PUBLIC SERVICE

HEALTHCARE

OPEN SPACE

FOOD

COMMERCIAL

INDUSTRIAL

LEISURE

INFRASTRUCTURE

PUBLIC BATHS

BANKS HOTELS

COMMUNITY CENTRE RESTAURANTS FOOD MARKET

CONVENT CHURCH SYNAGOGUE

CLUBS

CATHEDRAL CHAPEL

Strategic Characteristics The identification of strategic characteristics belonging to the assets/typologies/categories is essential towards the continued development of the project. These characteristics will form the basis for strategic alignment with contemporary programs and local uptake capacities that can meaningfully benefit from them - thus mutually reinforcing the civic legacy of the asset and the civic opportunites for the new program(s).

System & Application

Château Viger TYPE Hotel

YEAR 1898

The shifting of Montreal’s commercial core to the north-west, and the onset of the economic depression of the 1930s, proved disastrous for Place Viger. The hotel closed in 1935. In 1951, the railway station was also closed, and the building was sold to the City of Montreal. The interiors were gutted and transformed to non-descript office space, and the building was renamed Édifice JacquesViger. Much of the Viger Gardens was destroyed in the 1970s to allow for the construction of the Autoroute Ville-Marie highway, and the remainder of the gardens was transformed into a little-travelled public square (named “Viger Square”), with much-criticized concrete landscaping by artist Charles Daudelin. For decades, Place Viger sat isolated and neglected, a striking historic building surrounded by concrete and a highway.

LOCATION Montreal, QC

Although combined stations and hotels were common in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, the concept was unique to Canada.

If H

Se Kn

Legend

In Le If

C T H

Urban relationship Location Programmatic typologies Obsolescence typologies Programmatic footprint Heritage value Age Curable Temporary Heritage

Strategic Characteristic Typologies

Programmatic Category/Typology

Se Kn Re Pu He

SECURITY citadels, barracks

fire stations

police stations

prisons

kindergarten

primary/ secondary school

colleges

universities

churches

convents

city halls

community centres

KNOWLEDGE

RELIGIOUS

PUBLIC SERVICE post offices

HEALTHCARE hospitals

Op Fo Co In Le If 22

OPEN SPACE parks

squares

grocery stores

markets

FOOD

COMMERCIAL shops

restaurants

banks

hotels

incinerators, factories

warehouses

silos

theatres

cinemas

museums

stadiums

citadels, barracks

fire stations

police stations

prisons

INDUSTRIAL

LEISURE

INFRASTRUCTURE

Character within Urban Fabric

NETWORK The asset is part of a network of similar assets in a co-dependent arrangement. If one asset disappears, the network is weakened.

Post Offices

Fire Stations

Carnegie Libraries

Black Watch Regiment Building

Schools

Schubert Public Bath

Velodrome

McCord Museum

CONSTELLATION The asset is part of a constellation of similar assets though remains independent from the others.

MUTUALISTS The asset is often found near other specific assets from different programmatic typologies and this proximity is beneficial to all assets in proximity.

OPPORTUNISTS Assets taking advantage of the proximity of population densities or other necessary (related) functions

Caserne 23 Saint-Henri

Saint-Henri Post Office

Saint-Henri Bank

Saint-Henri Metro Station

Royal Victoria Hospital Winnipeg’s Merchants Hotel

LONERS Individual assets, providing a specific function. Maison Alcan

Biosphere

Relationship to Urban Fabric

PIONEER The asset is a pioneer.developed before the urban growth, thus stimulating it with continued evolution Université de Montréal McGill University

GEOGRAPHICALLY STRATEGIC The asset has a strategic location within the urban fabric. established to serve a specific territory. NDG Post Office

DEMOGRAPHICALLY STRATEGIC Established because of the surge of a particular demographic demand or consituency

Schools on rue Adam

Westmount YMCA

Character of Obsolescence

IN USE VACANT / UNDERUSED

PHYSICAL OBSOLESCENCE Resulting from gross mismanagement and/or physical neglect, often precipitated by deferred maintenance too costly to repair.

Schools on rue Adam

FUNCTIONAL OBSOLESCENCE Resulting from a temporal misfit between an asset’s architectural design, building style, size, outdated amenities and/or changing technology

EXTERNAL OBSOLESCENCE Resulting from negative forces external to the property itself.

Dickson Incineator $

ECONOMIC OBSOLESCENCE Devaluation of the asset due to shifting economic status, forces and/ or drivers.

Canada Malt Silos LEGAL OBSOLESCENCE Due to the introduction of new legislation or new standards controlling matters such as health, safety, and fire control, which in extreme cases may render a building obsolete.

Hötel-Dieu Hospital

SOCIAL OBSOLESCENCE Obsolescence caused by behavioral changes in society and the relationship between the asset and its market/users.

Hushion Public Bath REDUNDANCY

Scale of Influence/Notoriety

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL

Biodome

Biosphere

Lafontaine Park

Silos #5

Museum of Fine Arts

REGIONAL

LOCAL

Westmount Public Library

Heritage Value

HERITAGE

Château Viger

Maison Alcan

Orange Julep

Metropolitain News Agency

NOT HERITAGE

McCord Museum

related insert

Demolition by Neglect: A worrying (Montreal) phenomenon

[related]

Obsolescence and the end of life phase of buildings by André Thomsen OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment, Delft University Oct 16, 2014

Abstract What is obsolescence? Numerous older housing blocks have been knocked down because of being obsolete. There is a general understanding that buildings, like machinery and durable consumer goods, should be replaced when they become obsolete. But is this true? Obsolescence is a serious threat for built property. Given its immobile, long lasting and capital intensive character and its societal and cultural significance on the one hand and the high uncertainty about their future lives on the other, minimizing obsolescence is indispensible for the up keeping of the physical, economical and societal investments involved. This article explores the characteristics and symptoms of obsolescence, how can they be diagnosed and when and to what extent is demolition an unavoidable consequence? Due to the limited availability of empirical sources, the approach is mainly inventory and conceptual, based on literature search supported by previous empirical work.

Excerpt Obsolescence is a serious threat for built property. Given its immobile, long lasting and capital intensive character and its societal and cultural significance on the one hand and the high uncertainty about their future lives on the other, minimizing obsolescence is crucial for the up keeping of the physical, economical and societal investments involved.

On the other hand, obsolescence is not a necessary condition for demolition, and pretended obsolescence is not necessary always the true reason for pulling down existing building (Thomsen and van der Flier, 2009b). Despite an abundance of case studies and descriptions (Library of Congress, 2010), empirical knowledge about the decision-making in the final phase of the life cycle of buildings and the underlying motives is scarce and fragmented.

What is obsolescence? Numerous assets have been knocked down because of being obsolete. The recent public debate about the demolition of the Negro Community Centre Looking at the available data as shown in the illustrates the emotional character of the sub- figure 2, the rate of demolition differs consideject and a general understanding that the life rably between countries, varying from 0,05% span of buildings is determined by becoming and below in France, the UK and Sweden to obsolete with demolition as a necessary end over 0,3% in the Netherlands. (Taylor, 2011). But is this always true? Not for monuments and other structures with heritage or other intrinsic values that may not be demolishes, not for empty out of service structures on valueless land that no one will demolish, and even not for an obsolete worn down property as long as the owners and users love it and it does not harm its environment. Even if obsolescence is defined as a condition that justifies demolition, there are other solutions like renovation, reuse and transformation to extend the service life of buildings.

Figure 1: Obsolescence and service life

Netherlands

Germany

United Kingdom France Sweden Switzerland

Figure 2: Rates of demolition in different countries

Next Steps: The Civic Asset Index

The Civic Asset Index is an essential tool to support the consistent identification/designation of Civic Assets. Through the classification research, it became evident that no single criterion was sufficient to designate a property as a Civic Asset, and that a more sophisticated model was necessary.

references:

The Civic Asset Index is intended to compile both quantitative and qualitative data to generate a preliminary ranking of civic value for a given asset (or assets). We are exploring a designation model that combines data from the Civic Asset Index with context-specific knowledge and interpretation.

OECD Better Life index

Canadian Index of Wellbeing

Developing the Index is a sophisticated analysis project that demands ongoing testing and refinement to ensure that it is both sufficiently discerning and inclusive to: 1) support the expansion of the project into different contexts; and 2) develop our capacity to evaluate increasing numbers of candidate properties.

Your Better Life Index, launched in May 2011, is an interactive tool that allows people to compare countries’ performances according to their own preferences in terms of what makes for a better life. It includes 11 indicators of well-being.

The Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is guided by a conceptual framework that shifts the focus solely from the economy to include other critical domains of people’s lives that lead to enhanced wellbeing. The CIW is a composite index with a single number that moves up or down like the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) or Dow Jones Industrial, giving a quick snapshot of whether the overall quality of life of Canadians is getting better or worse. https://uwaterloo.ca/canadian-index-wellbeing/our-products/framework

Index Structure

Indexes usually follow the same structure : categories, indicators and sub-indicators. Sub Indicator 1

Category 1

Example: Demography

Indicator 1

Sub Indicator 2

Indicator 2

Sub Indicator 3

Indicator 3

Sub Indicator 4

Indicator 4

Sub Indicator 5 ...

Population structure Population aged over 65

Quantitative indicators are very widely used indicators often demonstrate a richer undersin indexes as they give a very clear measure of tanding of the dynamics at play. things and are numerically comparable. This enables to compare the performances or achievery safe very unsafe vements of two or more projects. Moreover, it also allows to compare the statuses of the VS same project at different times. Most often, quantitative indicators are preferred as they do not need feelings or judgment to quantify them. They just need mechanical methods that are theoretically expected to give the same results, no matter who measures them.

Each category is composed of several indicators assessing different key issues. Each indicator consists in one or several sub-indicators Qualitative Indicators do not show numeric measures as such. Rather, they depict the stathat evaluate a precise issue covered by the indicator topic. The scoring process describes tus of something in more of qualitative terms. the way points are calculated, from the evalua- Some abstract aspects are better captured by tion of each sub-indicator to the global score. a qualitative indicator than a quantitative one. For example, how much a poor community is The scoring card is the table containing all information about the score achieved for each empowered may not be measurable in strict quantitative terms. But they can be graded sub-indicator, indicator, category and overall building performance. It can also displays the based on qualitative findings. Whether a cooperative body is properly functioning or not, different weightings for each sub-indicator, can be assessed in qualitative terms and then it indicator and category. can be graded. Quantitative vs Qualitative indicators Good index thinking does not involve “QuanAs the term denotes, a Quantitative Indicator titative OR Qualitative”; it involves “Quantitaindicates a quantity. The quantity can be a tive AND Qualitative”. Furthermore, indexes pure number, an index, ratio or percentage. combining both qualitative and quantitative

aggressions per year during the night

neither safe nor unsafe

Ex 1. Melbourne’s Liveability Index. Indicator Crime and Safety Perceptions of safety during night.

Sub Indicator 1

Civic Asset Index Working Methodology

Indicator 1 Category 1

Sub Indicator 2

Indicator 2

Sub Indicator 3

Indicator 3

Sub Indicator 4

Indicator 4

Sub Indicator 5 ...

CIVIC ASSET = Sub Indicator 1

PHYSICAL CAPITAL + PROGRAMMATIC CAPITAL +

Indicator 1 Category 1

Sub Indicator 2

Indicator 2

Sub Indicator 3

Indicator 3

Sub Indicator 4

Indicator 4

Sub Indicator 5 ...

SOCIAL CAPITAL +

Sub Indicator 1

LEGACY Indicator 1 Category 1

Sub Indicator 2

Indicator 2

Sub Indicator 3

Indicator 3

Sub Indicator 4

Indicator 4

Sub Indicator 5 ...

Sub Indicator 1 Indicator 1 Category 1

Sub Indicator 2

Indicator 2

Sub Indicator 3

Indicator 3

Sub Indicator 4

Indicator 4

Sub Indicator 5 ...

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The National Civic League’s Civic Index, 1986

‘‘What makes some communities better able Unveiled at the ninety-third annual National than others to solve the tough social, political, Conference on Governance in 1987 in Boston, economic, or physical challenges they face? the Civic Index consisted of ten variables, This was the question the board and staff of or “components,” that successful communithe National Civic League (NCL) set out to ties seemed to have in good working order: answer in 1986. The answer would come in the “citizen participation, community leadership, form of a National Civic Index, a new tool that government performance, volunteerism and communities could use to analyze their civic philanthropy, intergroup relations, civic educastrengths and weaknesses in collective efforts tion, community information sharing, capacity tosolve problems or envision a better future. for cooperation and consensus building, strategic long-range planning, and intercommunity Every community has a civic infrastructure —formal and informal processes and networks cooperation.”

140 120 100 80 60 40 20

Index of National Civic Health The American National Commission on Civic Renewal combined social trends such as these in creating its 1998 “Index of National Civic Health” - which has plunged since 1960.

through which communities make decisions and attempt to solve problems. The quality of a community’s civic infrastructure determines that community’s health—economic, civic, and social. It is the base upon which a healthy community is constructed. Like the physical infrastructure, if the civic infrastructure has deteriorated, it must be renovated and maintained on an ongoing basis. In newer communities the civic infrastructure has to be built before the community will be able to deal successfully with its challenges.

McGrath, M. and Rubio-Cortés, G. (2012), The new Civic Index. Nat Civic Rev, 101: 3–19. July 25 2012; doi: 10.1002/ ncr.21072

Next Steps: The Platform

The Platform will be the digital repository for the body of knowledge and research on Civic Assets that we are we are curating and cultivating. This is a resource of great interest to many parties with whom we have had contact (from developers to heritage organizations to academic partners, et al).

As was cemented through the collaborative work that took place at Wasan Island, establishing the Platform is a critical first step along the strategic roadmap of the Project’s full realization. It is the means to unite the conceptual, informational and operational dimensions of the Project towards real-world action and expansion.

Platform’s first iteration will also provide first level expansion of the Project into the broader Canadian context.

This first iteration of the Platform will also allow us to collect user input, interaction and data that will greatly inform the continued development the Platform and Project. Concurrent to the developMoreover, it will provide us a channel of In Phase 2, we plan to launch the Platform ment of the Platform’s first iteration and access to the vast resource that is the col- as a knowledge space, but equally as a in collaboration with key experts and lective knowledge and ideas of citizens. space where owners, developers, tenants, advisors, we will actively conceptualize This open space for collective contriorganizations, citizens and other stakethe long arc functionality of the platform bution is essential to the Project’s fully holders can interface around specific Civic as a function of the Project’s ambitions rendered vision. It is a means if soliciting Assets of interest (in addition to each oth- and milestones. the recognition and characterization of er and the Project in general). This capacCivic Assets by the bodies that understand ity will be applied directly to the launch their value and can articulate and describe of the pilot redevelopment projects (also it (producing awareness and knowledge), planned as a function of the first iterawhich is in turn essential to the assets’ tion), integrating stakeholder participastrategic and sustainable reinvention tion in an active and meaningful way, and (contributing to new methodologies for crowdsourcing opportunities and insights city building). at the earliest stages of the process. The

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T-Spoon Open Source Urbanism - CITYHOUND Platform In 2013, the architectural firm T-Spoon, based in Rome, IT launched CITYHOUND - a social network connecting owners of underused spaces (private or government) with those looking for spaces to realize an idea. CITYHOUND is designed to: > Learn about local resources > Discover the spaces of opportunity > Stimulate creativity and the desire for a reappropriation of space > Support the launch of new shares > Reactivate underutilized spaces > Build an ecological, creative and sustainable community http://city-hound.com/

Cityhound Cmnty Mobilise [Im]possible Living Sparkup Inc. Renew Newcastle Spacehive Spazi Indecisi Tutur Urbact Ushahidi Crowdfunding MI Je vois Montréal City Creative Net. Temporiuso Luchtsingel Floriade Radar Ioby Neighborly Kickstarter Pluspool Bristolrising Citizinvestor Indiegogo Catarse My World Needs U

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Contemporary Case Studies Concurrent to the focused research and development of the Civic Assets Project, The Commons Inc has become professionally involved - with varying mandates - in a number of actual, and related, projects. These projects have served, in different ways, as Contemporary Case Studies for the Project, elucidating different dimensions and offering many lessons towards the development of the Civic Assets Pilot Projects.

Lessons & Observations : Risk Aversion Despite interest from the key partners on the project to develop an interesting project commensurate with the status of the buidling and the partners involved, innovative development ideas were ultimately dismissed as a priority for fear of risk. Finding a tenant became instead the tantamount priority. Urban Pressure Montreal’s political and economic variability breeds conservatism amongst developers, as basic risk level is perceived to be higher. Where higher levels of urban development pressures exist, innovation becomes a convincing strategy, at the very least for differentiation purposes.

Maison Alcan Civic Asset Redevelopment 2013

Stakeholder Communication When multiple stakeholders are involved, interpersonal communication and agreement becomes paramount to the successful flow of ideas and opportunities.

Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context Maison Alcan is the world headquarters for the Alcan company, now part of Rio Tinto Alcan, and is located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal. Completed in 1983, the complex’s integration of new construction with restored or renovated buildings marked a turning point in corporate Montreal’s approach to development. Maison Alcan for sale In May 2011, it was reported that Rio Tinto Alcan was looking to sell Maison Alcan and move to new headquarters, due to the cost of renovating the building for a smaller workforce—and with the historic status of four of the seven buildings possibly complicating renovations. The Alcan Complex, formerly the headquarters of the Alcan Aluminum company, was recently acquired by entertainment magnate Guy Laliberte, owner of Cirque du Soleil. This places the site in a strategic position, as the new ownership 42

implies a strong identity shift, one with tremendous civic potential, in the wake of the complex’s 30th anniversary. Strategic Masterplan by The Commons Inc The Commons Inc was given the mandate to develop a strategic Master plan for the public domain of the Maison Alcan Complex. This domain was defined as the internal and external open/circulation spaces, and the cultural and retail spaces of the complex accessible to the public. The purpose of this work was to identify and validate alternative uses for the project. The research team carried out an extensive research and analysis on the history, uses and cultural significance of the complex, urban context, contemporary trends, and relevant precedents towards the identification of key opportunities and potentials. New ideas were explored, and existing ones validated through a retrospective research and projective analysis.

its potential to be an international distinctive hub within Montreal’s cultural landscape. Finally, a jury selected by the borough administration analyzed the two plans and selected that of Cinema NDG, presumably because it appeared more financially viable. Lessons & Observations : The risks of Politics Because of the many years of stagnancy on the project, it had become highly politicized with multiple parties, including the municipal government, coming to the table with prejudices, ideas, personalities, and interests. Successfully navigating these forces is a political project unto itself.

Empress Theatre Civic Asset Redevelopment 2012

Fear of Transparency

Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context The Empress Theatre was opened to the public in 1927. In one form or another, the venue operated as a profitable and vibrant part of the community until a fire tragically gutted its interior in 1992.

cing plans for the future of the theatre.

The Commons Inc. was commissioned by the Empress Cultural Centre (ECC) to consider the future of the Empress Theatre, located in a rapidly developing area of Montreal’s west end. Designed by the Montreal architect Alcide Chaussé The derelict theatre, once a cultural cornerstone of the community, is also one of the last remai[1868-1944], and decorated by interior designer ning Egyptian Art Deco style theatres in North Emmanuel Briffa [1875-1955] and sculptor Edward America and reinvented, holds the potential to Galea, the Empress has the distinction of being an be a true urban catalyst. exceptional example of an Art deco-era theatre building in the Egyptian Revival style. Though little The project reinstated the Empress as The of the interior decor remains, the theatre is the Empress Analog Institute, a new institution only one of its quality in Canada and among the dedicated to the preservation of analog techbest examples of this style in North America. nologies, used in multiple domains (cinema, music, photography, etc.). First, it examined the programmatic, demographic, architectural and Appel à projet publique economic determining factors, which will shape the future of the Empress Theatre, within its Last year, a partnership called Cinema NDG and local, district and city contexts, and beyond. It a group with competing development plans, the found the Empress to possess many untapped Empress Cultural Centre (ECC), both submitted projects to the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Nôtre- key values and significant potentials to succinctly play into the cultural network of Montreal. The Dâme-de-Grâce’s Appel à projet publique, which asked citizens to submit well-formed and self-finan- project realises the Empress Analog Institute as a factory of creative preservation – manifesting

Though the project was developed under a particular political regime (the borough mayor was later arrested for corruption), the municipal governement through the design of its process and the display of its actions held a deep-seated fear of public consultation and project transparency. This (mutual) defecit of trust, should it exist, must necessarily be addressed when embarking on a redevelopment project in accordance with the interests of this project. Evidence can speak louder than ideas The alternative proposal to the Analog Institute, was premised upon an existing model of a repertory theatre in the city. This existing model offered provided security to the deciding bodies in a significant way.

ted officials in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough say they’re seeing the rise of a trend as developers go over their heads to judges to reach their own goals. Lessons & Observations : Too little too late After frustrated attempts to find an appropriate redevelopment solution, the NCC board was prepared to sell their asset in order to set up a scholarship fund in their name as their new legacy. Unfortunately, what they hadn’t realized was that by this time, the state of the property in relation to the real estate value of its location made the property financially value-less.

Negro Community Centre Civic Asset Redevelopment Strategy 2013

Civic Value vs Financial Value

Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context The Negro Community Centre in Little Burgundy was once the heart of Montreal’s black community. Before becoming an international ambassador of the city’s jazz scene, Oscar Peterson and others such as Oliver Jones started off on the keys at the NCC. The NCC was once a lifeline to the community, offering music lessons, night courses, homework help and even lent money to community members, while providing a safe place for the youth in the neighbourhood. The building — built in 1890 — has been closed for more than 20 years. Process After several years to find a solution to its crisis, the center was officially closed in 1994. While many community projects were initiated to save the building and its mission, following its closure, for varying reasons, none of them succeeded. In 2014, The Commons Inc. was invited to parti44

cipate in a consortium dedicated to consulting the NCC on possible options ranging from sale to redevelopment of the asset. Building partially collapses In April 2014 an exterior wall collapsed and a safety perimeter was put into place, no injuries were incurred. Bankruptcy In August 2014, The Negro Community Centre which owned the building for the past half-century, filed for bankruptcy in August. A trustee from PricewaterhouseCoopers sold the building to Cher’s company in September. Demolition order A Quebec Superior Court judge ordered on November 2014 that the building be razed over the objections of the borough. Zoning and demolition permits are the domain of municipalities, but elec-

For reasons mentioned above, the financial value of the asset was minimal. However, its civic value was tremendous, as was its potential. Though unfortunately stunted by the collaps of a wall, and the NCC’s ensuing declaration of bankruptcy, the consortium had begun exploring means by which the asset’s civic value could be cleverly leveraged towards enhanced financial value - of the asset itself as well as the tax base of its surrounding properties. The need for articulated frameworks The announcement that the city’s declination of a demolition permit had been overruled by a judge is evidence of a need for greater knowledge, clarity and discourse surrounding the recognition and due process of civic assets.

Lessons & Observations : The volatility of circumstance Despite the competition process being sponsored by multiple levels of government and fully completed, funding issues (due to governmnet shifts) blocked the continued development of major components of the project. Immediate need vs recognition of legacy Within the literature of the competition, though certain interests in the legacy of the building were expressed, they were superficial at best. Understanding legacy as an asset and an opportunity does not yet seem to be mainstream thought, even within the profession.

Vélodrôme / Biodome

Piecemeal development

Civic Asset Renovation 2014 Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context

International competition

The building was designed by French architect Roger Taillibert as part of his larger plan for an Olympic park that included the Montreal Olympic Stadium and the Olympic pool. The venue was a combined velodrome and Judo facility. The facility was officially opened in April 1976. In 1988, a feasibility study was conducted for converting the velodrome into a biodome and the facility was re-opened to the public on 18 June 1992 as the Montreal Biodôme, a unique place, which showcases and recreates Americas’ ecosystems.

To mark its 375th anniversary, the city of Montréal has organized an architecture competition to attract designs for three major projects with a total value of $45 million: the Insectarium Metamorphosis; the Biodôme Renewal; and a Glass Pavilion at the Botanical Garden.

Space for life Space for life is a new institution created in order to create a coherent vision for the Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Garden and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. It forms a physical place where nature and science are honoured and a social space, a participatory movement in which communities are invited to participate.

Though the competition was actually comprised of 3 interrelated projects, all belonging to Space for Life, not to mention the Biodome being directly adjacent to the ‘Grande Place’ of the Olympic Site (in dire need of revitizalation itself). No allowance or framework was provided for concerted thought on the interrelationship of parts, or how these different elements might peform in constellation.

The Biodôme project targeted the interior of the Biodôme, from the ecosystems to the public spaces. The Commons Inc. participated to the competition with a new vision for the Biodôme: more immersion and more life The goal was to awaken visitors‘ senses ith a more immersive, introspective and moving experience, through new perspectives on the ecosystems. New habitats would bring in new plants and animals to make the visitor experience more stimulating and instructive. The addition of elements such as rain and snow will make it more of a physical experience, involving all the senses. 45

Champ des Possibles (adjacent), perhaps this slow perculation breeds a community commitment to the site that can be leveraged at the right moment. Accelerating through procedural infrastructure The hope of the Civic Assets Project is that it might provide the infrastructure and development frameworks to accelerate the catalyzation of such a project, wherein the tenants and the assets are aligned. Access to the resources to truly assess feasability and opportunity is one of the prime difficulties for the key players.

Kabane 77 Civic Asset / Arts Organization Development 2013

Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context

Strategy

Organizations and collectives Double Negative, Groupe d’action en cinéma Épopée and Hors champ propose to occupy and convert the 77 Bernard East, an industrial building abandoned for several years, into a laboratory for the creation, dissemination and training in film and video in Montreal. Inspired by similar international initiatives, KABANE77 is becoming the new point of reference for the preparation and presentation of moving images in Montreal (and beyond), a dynamic and vibrant hub which intends to enhance the skills and practices related to analog cinema, to offer a diverse public programming and to participate meaningfully in cross-disciplinary, intercultural and intergenerational exchanges.

Though none of the participating organizations own, or even have legal access to the site (though they have requested and received certain permissions from the city), their interest and intention is to position the site so deeply within the collective awareness of the community, that its re-purposing towards their goals will become an inevitability.

The Commons Inc has maintained professional friendships with Double Negative and Hors Champ, as they were key tenants-to-be within the Empress Analog Institute proposal. They remain actively committed to presenting and promoting culture in the city and engaging with its civic fabric in innovative ways. 46

They have hosted a number of events, including screenings and live music performances as a means of promoting awareness and community attachment to the site and possibilities. Lessons & Observations : The perks and perils of slowness The dedication and interest shown by the organizations involved in this project are comendable. However, it is clear that such grassroots efforts often the second or third activity within the lives of the key actors - remain a slow means towards affecting change (as least under these particular circumstances). However, as was the case with the

ground floor of the former Berri Station, with 5,000 sq ft. Lessons & Observations : Preservation as foe Despite a keen interest on the part of the developers to respect and reinforce the heritage of the building, the degree of bureaucracy and idiosyncracy they are enduring is prohibitive and frustrating. Entering with an interest in preservation, they are departing from the project with a distinct distaste for engaging in such issues.

Château Viger

Trusting in an appetite for Assets

Civic Asset Redevelopment 2013

Not unlike the Maison Alcan project, the developers of Chateau Viger’s first tactics were to design and develop the new real estate and develop tenant and financial security through its sale. Interestingly, the model proved to be flawed and once they started to sell the project base on the Asset, far greater success was achieved.

Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context

the storied site.

The reoccupation of these historical buildings is part of the vision for a mixed-use development complex

First phase of development

High profile tenants already confirmed In addition to having moved their offices to a section of the Berri Station, Jesta Group has already confirmed the arrival of two major tenants, who will be moving in this fall. LightSpeed, a leading company that provides serious retailers the simplest way to build, manage and grow their business and create a better shopping experience, will move its headquarters in October to the Viger Castle, occupying the top four floors of the building. “As one of Montreal’s fastest-growing technology companies moving into a 116 year old Montreal landmark, we are merging heritage and high-tech,” said Dax Dasilva CEO and founder, LightSpeed.

In 2014, The Jesta Group announced the first phase of a major mixed-use development project, The Gare Viger project, a major real estate development which represents a total investment of $250 million. The project will begin at the site of the former Viger Station with the revitalization of the Viger Castle and the Berri Station into commercial and office spaces. The Jesta Group will invest more In addition, the Montreal brewery, Brasseur de than $20 million into the visionary refurbishment of Montréal, will open its second location on the

Call for proposals A call for proposals was then launched in summer 2014 to determine the winning project. This call for proposals aimed to define and detail each project. Lessons & Observations : Good intentions, Bad empathy The scale and interests of this project are such that it generally attracted small and community-connected organizations. Unfortunately, the duration of the process, and its lack of clarity at points, has been untenable for some of these organizations, as has been the limbo it has produced. Despite good intentions, a process far more conscientious and sensitive to the imperatives of its audience need be considered and developed.

Wellington Tower Civic Asset Development Process 2013-14

Neglecting Context

Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context Wellington Tower was built back in 1943, right in the thick of the Second World War. Its purpose was to ensure the efficient movement of goods from the factories to the network of roads, railways and waterways connecting Montréal. It was here that the roads and rails of the Lachine Canal crossed paths, from the city to the Port of Montréal. Last year, a study by the heritage division of the City of Montréal identified the tower as an exceptional heritage site. The study also recognized the architectural significance of the building, which has a bunker style, something that’s pretty rare. It was the only direction tower used to control both a bridge and railway routes still standing in all of North America. Following the official recognition of the site’s heritage value, the City of Montréal has asked for propositions on how to turn it into a cultural landmark. This project is set to be completed in 2017, just in time for the citie’s 48

375th anniversary, and will be accompanied by a public park complete with artwork and a fountain. Public call for ideas The City of Montreal launched in October 2013 a public call for ideas to provide cultural organizations the opportunity to submit their housing development and animation proposals for the Wellington tower to transform the building into a cultural innovation space by 2016. Proposals, delivered in December 2013, were to propose the development of the tower and its immediate surroundings and the animation of the public spaces defined in the Promenade Smith competition. Following this, four organizations have been selected as part of the public call for ideas: eastern bloc, espaces temps, productions weart and ateliers créatifs.

Within the designed process and literature, very little information or attention is attributed to the highly dynamic changes occurring around this asset. These developments will generate new populations and new character for the site. Participants in the process should be informed at the least, and better yet, encouraged to engage with the dyanamism of these realities.

Lessons & Observations : Avoiding the unknown Following the comparative analyses of the existing buildings and the new build, The NDG Food Depot board, concluded that it would be a less risky, and likely less expensive solution to build a new construction on the empty land than try to retrofit one of the existing buildings. The unfortunate divide The NDG Food Depot is currently located within Trinity Church, and expressed interesting in staying within this location and expanding their footprint within it. Despite the dwindling use of the church by its constituency, a higher and better offer vs enhanced coexistence was desired. This seems possible to organize, but again the infrastructure to help either entity find appropriate partners and potentials is currently lacking.

NDG Food Depot Community Organization Relocation 2014

Acquisition & Comparative Analysis Strategic programming & Financial modelling Tenant structure & Spatial design

Context The NDG Food Depot strives to eliminate hunger in a manner that ensures dignity, community engagement and the development of human potential. They have been serving NDG and the surrounding Montreal boroughs since 1986 and have been an independent charitable organization since 2003. All their activities are based on the holistic approach that “Everything is Nourishment”. This includes having healthy food, authentic relationships and opportunities for meaningful engagement and personal development. Their aim is to create a balance between direct emergency service and programs that promote self-reliance and community building. The NDG Food Depot currently aims to join the “Community Food Centres Canada” network. In order to join this network and reach CFC status, the food depot needs to add other programs to its base food program services. The expansion of the depot program will also require a larger space with a larger staff, prompting the board to seek options to move their headquarters to a larger permanent space.

Strategic assessment for the new location by The Commons Inc In May 2014, the board hired The Commons Inc to conduct a comparative analysis of the candidate sites and help the food depot choose the best location for the development of the future CFC. The Commons Inc conducted research and analyses on four sites and followed up with the board members on several occasions in order to discuss potential strategies and most suitable location for the CFC. The sites were all consisting of existing buildings, privately and publicly owned. The final decision of the board remains unknown, however based on the final conversation, the food depot is inclined on investing on a new construction on an empty site, granted to the depot by the city.

Pilot Projects

The Pilot Projects, a series of real-time civic assets that are either currently threatened, in question, or slated for repurposing will be initiated as active development projects in Phase 2. Pursuing their (programmatic, financial and physical) design and development throughout the project will provide an important channel by which to investigate the concrete challenges they imply, and validate the body of thinking and methodological approaches in development.

Pilot Project Approach

The Civic Assets Project is predicated on While we find this prospect tantalizing, going beyond the current “one-project, and look forward to pursuing its long-term one-time” approach to building redevelopimplications conceptually, there are immement and instead maximizing civic assets as diate strategic benefits to conceiving of the a broader urban infrastructure (and regional Project through a ‘portfolio-based’ deveor national resource). One of the fascinating lopment approach. Firstly, because of their dimensions of the Project that was elucidated inherent characteristics and urban positioning, through our Wasan Island Sessions, was its civic assets have the capacity to perform in long term potential to structurally manifest as constellation (i.e. as an ecosystem of spaces a “pilot project within a pilot project within a and services) – a strategic potential that reinpilot project”. In other words, it could become forces the very concept of the Project when a process to sequentially test and actualize well-orchestrated. Secondly, from an impact increasing scopes of redevelopment strategies, investment perspective, this approach has the wherein the redevelopment of a single civic actual potential to produce the high financial asset becomes the pilot project for a new asset and civic returns we are seeking. This, by virredevelopment methodology. In turn, the col- tue of the portfolio alone (vs. demanding such lective redevelopment of multiple assets bereturns from a single redevelopment project), comes the pilot project for new infrastructural but furthermore by the fact that developing development approaches. And finally, this a portfolio allows for greater opportunity, type of infrastructural redevelopment innova- flexibility and innovation. tion becomes the pilot project for new models The Pilot Project strategy we developed of city building and long-term planning. in Phase 1, is thus centred on two primary

operations: 1) pursuing a set of redevelopment projects and 2) orchestrating these redevelopments to support the proposition of Civic Assets as an infrastructural system, whose redevelopment can generate a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Sherbrooke Street: A Methodological Test Case / Proposal

Sherbrooke Street has been a central focus of our pilot project research in Phase 1. Firstly because it provided a means by which to narrow the vast array of possibilities in the city, but moreover because it allowed us to conceive of a phased pilot project strategy and eco-systemic approach that could amplify our efforts towards generating proofs of concept, and awareness of the concept of Civic Assets, and new methodologies for civic-driven urban development. Sherbrooke Street, spanning Montreal in 32 kilometers, bears a significant role in the historic and geographic development of the city. A reflection of the natural and historical growth of Montreal, this iconic corridor has witnessed the amalgamation of a diverse demographic, an eclectic range of co-existing boroughs and encompassed civic assets along its length. The diversity of the Street’s civic asset types, encompassed in the different neighborhoods and zones co-existing along its length, makes Sherbrooke Street an attractive case study, as starting point , for the deployment of the Civic Assets Project in Montreal.

Urban Context The physical character of the city is marked by its geographic positioning. The city’s evolution occured in a sequence of terraces between the river and the mountain and the city’s elongation both eastward and westward.

Montreal Urban Evolution

Step 1:

(A) First urban site (B) Marine Terrace

Identifying Urban Legacy & Potential

The Spine of the City Sherbrooke Street, runs along the landform known to geologists as the Sherbrooke Terrace, left by the rise and fall of the Champlain Sea. Much of the street is at the top of an escarpment that traverses this part of Montreal Island. The geographic positioning of Sherbrooke Street, once the North boundary of the city, made it an ideal location for the development of mansions along its length, overlooking the city of Montreal. These are the buildings that are now located in the Golden Square Mile, along Sherbrooke’s length.

Processional Axis Sherbrooke Street is a constant civic anchor location for parades, processions and protests.The street, holding historic as well as contemporary relevance, is a reminder of the ongoing parade of the city, a progress against the destruction of the past and the easy commercialism that has come to be the fate of much of Sherbrooke street.

2012 Student Protests along Sherbrooke St

Sherbrooke Street Evolution The street was first identified as a stretch between Aylmer Street and St. Laurent. It was not until 1927 that Sherbrooke Street grew into its present thirty-two kilometers.

Step 1:

Identifying Urban Legacy & Potential

Sherbrooke Street Boroughs An important potential of Sherbrooke Street lies in the diversity of not only the Civic Asset typologies it holds, but equally the social, economic and demographic diversity of the communities it borders. The street crosses five boroughs, with distinct characteristics and compositions.

Step 1:

Identifying Urban Legacy & Potential

Interestingly, where once Sherbrooke Street was contained within a number of these buroughs, their evolving delineationhas successively made Sherbrooke a border street. This has in turn, arguably produced a dissociation from the Street within the multiple communities it relates to, further contributing to its current impoverishment of identity and distinct civic character.

Usage Patterns The cultural parcours along Sherbrooke Street, along with other cultural insitutions/galleries. The educational axis along Sherbrooke Street, comprised of University campuses, secondary and primary schools.

Step 1:

Identifying Urban Legacy & Potential

The food axis along Sherbrooke Street (Restaurants, markets, grocery stores.) Lodging along Sherbrooke Street. Retail units along Sherbrooke Street

DECARIE BLVD

ATWATER

PIE IX

PAPINEAU

MCGILL COLLEGE

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0.5

1 km

1.5

2 km

2.5

3 km

ST LAURENT

Sherbrooke Street Assets

Step 2:

Identifying Sites of Opportunity

Sherbrooke Street Assets

Step 2:

Identifying Sites of Opportunity

Though the Civic Assets remain our primary interest, understanding the potential that surrounds them is imperative to their evaluation. This map reveals the residual spaces along Sherbrooke Street that can additionally be re-configured towards the re-vitalization of the street. These are the public spaces, the parks, the parking lots and the residual spaces between buildings that are owned either publicly or privately and offer the opportunity to extend civic activity through their appropriation.

related insert

Corridart, 1976

difficulties: there were acts of vandalism on In November, twelve Corridart artists began some works and there were public protests a civil suit against the City of Montreal for by artists who were not involved in Corridart $350,000 in damages. Five years later a decision Corridart dans la rue Sherbrooke was a major in protest against the granting process. Andy for the City was based more on Corridart's perproject of the Arts and Culture program of the Dutkewych's Suspension Two was removed ceived aesthetic defects than on judicial preceinternational Olympic Games that opened July from its site in Lafontaine Park by the City dent; authorities considered that too many of 17, 1976 in Montreal. Corridart was organized Parks Department on July 7 because it was the works showed unfavourable images of the by the artist-architect Melvin Charney and considered unsafe. city, its people, and its growth. Although the coordinated by André Ménard of the Arts and On July 13, Mayor Jean Drapeau and the exe- artists began an appeal against this decision Culture program of the Comité organisateur cutive committee of the City of Montreal or- in 1982, the City of Montreal was able to stall des jeux olympiques (COJO). It was funded dered that the exhibition be dismantled. They the case. Finally, in 1988 when the appeal was by a $386,000 grant from the ministère des about to be heard, the newly elected mayor alleged that the works contravened city byAffaires culturelles of Quebec. laws regarding the occupation of public space, Jean Doré offered an out-of-court settlement. Initially proposed by Fernande Saint-Martin as and that some of them represented a danger The twelve artists involved in the case were a street art festival, Corridart ultimately adop- to public safety. However, newspaper reports collectively awarded $85,000. ted the theme of the street's role in the history quote a spokesman from the mayor's office and society of Montreal. A juried competition who apparently stated that the exhibition was (http://archives.concordia.ca/P119) for Corridart was open to all Quebec artists; it removed because it was ugly and obscene. terminated in December 1975, with a total of With police protection, municipal employees 306 submissions. The exhibition consisted of 22 dismantled most of the works, including the projects. The presentation extended 5.5 miles continuous assemblage, during the night of along Sherbrooke Street between Atwater July 13. Several works were dismantled by their Avenue and the Olympic site at Pie IX Boule- creators. The complete dismantling took three a. vard. Corridart took the form of a series of in- days. Several sculptures that had been situated dividual projects and a continuous assemblage on private property adjacent to Sherbrooke known as Mémoire de la rue which wove Street were left standing. The majority of together the installations and activities. the artworks removed by city workers were ruined or severely damaged. The minister of Corridart was scheduled to be on display Cultural Affairs of Quebec, Jean-Paul L'Allier, from July 7-31, 1976. Artists began installing ordered that the exhibition be replaced, but their work in June. On July 7, a vernissage to celebrate the opening of Corridart took place was ignored by city officials. at the Université du Québec à Montréal art In the late summer of 1976, legal action was gallery on Sherbrooke Street. There were begun by several of the Corridart participants. 66

Corridart Sites of Intervention The key sites where the Corridart installations were exhibited along Sherbrooke Street, in 1976, as a mean to introduce public art in the city.

PAPINEAU

SAINT-DENIS

UNIVERSITÉ

a. Pierre Ayot, Croix du Mont-Royal b. Melvin Charney, Memoire de La rue c.Theatre on Saint Christophe Street

Collecting Input & Generating Awareness Multiple avenues for input and consultation will enable users, observers, developers, funders and designers to identify civic assets along Sherbrooke street and articulate and progressive ideas about the re-use of these assets within their neighborhoods. This will be a collective effort, in line with Montreal’s 2017 agenda, to merge the civic community’s interests and help ideas emerge through the articulation of possibilities and the participation of different sectors of Montreal’s civic society.

Step 2:

Identifying Sites of Opportunity

Examples of Online Platforms facilitating and engendering civic engagment

(a) Brickstarter is about 21st century social services: a system that would enable everyday people, using everyday technology and culture, to articulate and progress sustainable ideas about their community. (b) [Im]possible living is a crowdsourcing website dedicated to map and reactivate abandoned buildings around the world. It provides services to people that, on a local scale, seek to raise, discuss, and trigger a regeneration process of unused buildings supported by a wide community. (c) PRECARE is operating as an intermediator between property-owners of temporary vacant premises and artistic or social initiatives in need of workspace. (d) temporiuso.net is an association to promote temporary reuse of abandoned spaces and also acts as a network of partnerships with local and international associations, activists and some researchers.

Available Assets (through time) Available assets along Sherbrooke Street. While most are immediately available, some are included because of their potential or future processes of transformation, which are identified as of today.

Step 2:

Identifying Sites of Opportunity

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Selected Assets (through time)

Through understanding the (potential) temporal evolution of an asset cluster. along with their inherent characteristics/ potential, one can begin to strategically connect the functionalities they might support and potentiate through time.

Step 2:

Identifying Sites of Opportunity

Through the evaluation of civic assets along Sherbrooke street, and thorough analysis of socio-economical factors affecting Montreal in the years leading to its 375th anniversary, we are able to categorize and prioritize the Civic Assets based on immediate availability, civic relevance, strategic positioning and future potential. Through consideration of which assets are already available, those rumored to become vacant at a later date, and those that are reaching their point of obsolescence, we can, at each interval, identify shared interests between related civic assets and possible stakeholders willing to be involved collectively in the redevelopment of these spaces according to the interests of the Civic Asset Project.

The Empress Theatre, 1927 This Egyptian style Theatre has been closed and up for proposals in the past years to (still) no avail. Its history, civic importance and strategic location make it an ideal asset to redevelop in the NDG area.

2014 72

2014

Mu Mu

Maison Alcan, 1983

NDG Post Office, 1921

McCord Museum, 1921

The corporate complex, once housing Alcan Aluminum and now Rio Tinto Alcan, has been sold to Cirque du Soleil’s owner, Guy La Liberte, and is ready for redevelopment.

The post office has been subject to functional obsolescence, and is planned to close in the near future. Its civic function, strategic location and heritage value make it a significant candidate for a pilot project towards re-constituting Sherbrooke Street as a Civic Asset.

Currently a national history museum in the core of Montreal, the museum is lacking space for its expanding collection and seeks to move elsewhere. This makes the McCord museum a significant civic asset with near future potential for re-development

2015-2016

2016-2018 73

Strategic Onramp / Roadmap

Step 3:

Strategic (Pre) Development

The following diagram describes a process by which to initiate and perpuate the (re) development of Civic Asset Pilot Projects.

Programmatic Selection

The Platform

The top candidate program(s) will be submitted to rigorous feasibility analyses, specific to the proponents, the Asset, the urban context and the desired outcome criteria. Through this process a single ‘winner’ (or constellation of ‘winners’) will be selected, upon which the development process will begin.

Proposed ideas (aggregated through the platform) towards the (re)programming of a given Asset will be selected through a The diagram describes a full circle mecompetition process. Ideas will be assessed thodology that begins and ends with the through citizen input, expert juries as well Asset. At each step within the process, concerted ideas towards capacity building as strategic viability as defined through are embedded - e.g. engendering new skills the criteria/classification systems currently for ‘civic developers’; pushing programma- being developed through the Project. tic potentials through rigorous feasibility analyses, etc. Feasibility Analyses

The Platform is one of the key dimensions of the project. It is the (virtual) space and channel through which all content, opportunities and supporting data might flow.

It is a means by which to aggregate both (nominated) Assets as well as the possible programmatic ideas and interests that might support their redevelopment. It will also Project development serve as a vehicle by which to give visibility and solicit participation from a broad spec- A ‘civic developer’ will be charged with the project. The developer might be external or trum of stakeholders, including organizainternal to the programmatic entities, but tions, citizens, developers, investors, et al. in either case, will be supported by expert It will also provide a transparent platform guidance that will ensure effective pre-deby which civic functions, as well as the civic velopment work, while providing skills and functionality, of the city might gain legibiknowledge specific to this type of project lity - creating a space where indpendent that might further increase the developer’s research (eg. academic, municipal, organizacapacity to take on future projects of this tional, etc) might be posted, collected and ilk. developed.* 74

Financing The diagram above includes preliminary thinking towards a strategic method by which toward building out the system that deploys “three colors of money”: philanthropic funds; public capital and private capital. Philanthropic funds potentiate the infrastructural development necessary to support the system. Public funds (likely in the form of Assets or resources) are infused into the system so as to generate the first pilot projects - ultimately, laying the foundation for private sector investment. The ultimate ambition is to create a diverse set of investment channels into the project - from crowd-sourcing to municipal bonds; from micro to institutional scale investment.

Development The Civic Assets Fund

(nominated)

Civic Asset

The Civic Assets Platform

(assets, ideas, interests)

Financing

Citizen Visions

Due diligence

Design

Coalition Jury

Strategic Design Analyses

Citizen Input Pre-Development entity 1

entity 2

entity 3 Selection of Candidate Programs Coalition Building

Civic Developer

Candidate Program 1

asset

Selected Program

Feasibility Analyses

Candidate Program 2 Candidate Program 3

related insert

Université aux Cent Clochers: CCA 19th Interuniversity Charrette Winning Proposal

The 19th Inter-university Charrette 2014 was called FIELDS OF KNOWLEDGE: TOWARDS A UNIVERSITY OF THE STREETS, and it invited young designers to think about the relationship between the university campus and the city. The winning proposal suggested a novel use of heritage buidings, the Montreal churches, suggesting new roles as educational hubs, in tune with their original spatial configuration and urban logics. http://www3.cca.qc.ca/charrette/2014/about.html

Knowledge Mobilization

Knowledge mobilization around Civic Assets is an important part of the project in terms of its scaling and long-term sustainability. Our efforts in this area are organized around the cultivation, communication and aggregation of knowledge implied by the many dimensions of the concept and project. In order to guarantee its further development the Civic Assets project requires a sustained series of actions in order to engage multiple audiences, receive feedback and content and, in general, raise the awareness about this class of assets. To reach these objectives, The Commons Inc. has actively pursued the development of a network of players around the subject, as well as a series of interventions and participations within the public discourse.

Constellation of Players and Projects Rossi Family

SAT Biosphere

KRESGE

Knight Foundation

MaRS Centre for Impact Investing

Cityworks

Silver Dollar Foundation

Buckminster Fuller Institute

Store Front Heritage Montreal

Young Foundation

National Culture Days

Hamilton Community Foundation

Steinberg Family

Montreal 375th IPAM

McConnell Foundation

UNESCO Je vois mtl

Cities for people

The Civic Assets Project

MAS

Canada Council for the Arts

City of Montreal

UQAM WXY

Artscape

Tour d’aiguillage

Université de Montréal

Maison Alcan

NGD Food Depot

Research Centre on Canada

Ville intelligente

Montréal en statistiques

SBC Gallery

Negro Community Centre

SainteCatherine St.

McGill University

Concordia University

Darling Foundation

BAPM C.E.V.

Royal Victoria Hospital

DOCSE School of Architecture

CIRM

Monument National Phi Centre

Quartier de l’innovation

Future Earth

International SSHRC

Canadian Projects

Space for life

Key Events and Expansion Initiatives Young Foundation

Knight Foundation

The Civic Assets Project

Heritage Montreal

Je vois mtl

McConnell Foundation

The Civic Assets Project

Cities for people

The Civic Assets Project

MAS

WXY

Artscape

City of Montreal Maison Alcan

UQAM

Monument National

Space for life

NGD Food Depot

Research Centre on Ca-

School of Architecture

McGill University

CIRM

Quartier de l’innovation

Phi Centre

Wasan Island Sessions

Je Vois Mtl

The Wasan island Sessions considered the topic of the “Civic”, at the center of two parallel initiatives “Re-Imagining the Civic Commons” and “Civic Assets”. Both projects, the first in the USA and the second in Canada, are based on the concern for the state of public assets and services in the city, trying to understand their history and present conditions and to imagine scenarios for future transformations. As the main hypothesis at the base of these projects is that civic infrastructure and shared assets has positively supported the development of cities and communities, the objective is to understand how to perpetuate and re-launch their role in the dynamic landscape that is characteristic of contemporary urban life.

Je Vois Mtl is a movement led by actors from different spheres of activity. It’s a movement meant to change the collective mindset to restore confidence and pride in the city and give Montréal and its economy new momentum. It was initiated by L. Jacques Ménard, president of the BMO Financial Group, which, with the cooperation of the international firm The Boston Consulting Group, published the study Créer un nouvel élan à Montréal: 10 propositions pour un programme de relance.

The Wasan Island sessions represented a critical moment within this process. The research component of both initiatives has thus far been centred upon exploring the category itself of Civic Commons or Civic Assets – defining its limits; developing a taxonomy; unpacking case studies within it; and understanding the operative forces that have propagated successes and failures through time. The Wasan Island Sessions were an extremely productive moment to not only test, challenge and validate these working ideas but furthermore to initiate the projective thinking about the policy, finance and scaling frameworks that might turn our hypotheses and interests into concrete methodologies for their development.

I see mtl will encourage the involvement and contribution of citizens to decide on priority issues and activities to help build Montréal’s prosperity. Once the consultation is complete, community leaders took part in a public event on November 17, 2014 to finalize and adopt a sustainable recovery program for the city. This program will be structured around priority projects: attracting and retaining talent, the strength of businesses and revitalizing our living environment. Each priority will be made up of concrete, measurable projects that will be undertaken by Montréal leaders, businesses and organizations.

Civic Assets Studio, McGill University School of Architecture The design studio explores how physical civic assets, which still punctuate the urban fabric, can be reinvested of meaning, continuing to contribute to social cohesion and civic engagement. Sherbrooke Street in Montreal is a key axis of the city`s development, intercepting multiple social and territorial conditions. The studio will map and analyze the Civic Assets encountered along the 32 kilomenters of the road, comparing them with strategies of adaptation and reuse alreay legible in the city and proposes design solutions that articulates program, architectural actions and preservation for their transformation.

During the event of the 17th of November, the Civic Assets project was adopted officially as one of the key components of the actions oriented to revitalize and improve the city’s enviroment.

Biosphere

Knight Foundation

Biosphere

Buckminster Fuller Institute

Buckminster Fuller Institute Montreal 375th

National Culture Days

Hamilton Community Foundation

The Civic Assets Project

Je vois mtl

The Civic Assets Project

Canada Council for the

The Civic Assets Project

Canada Council for the

Cityworks

MaRS Centre for Impact Investing

Montreal 375th

The Civic Assets Project

McGill University City of Montreal

McGill University

Concordia University

DOCSE

Ville intelligente

MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, Community Finance Solutions Community Finance Solutions is a consulting and referral service that supports initiatives creating new impact investing funds and financial products. Our vision is a vibrant marketplace of effective impact investing funds and innovative financial products in communities across Canada, pooling and placing capital to create social and environmental impact. The Civic Assets Fund - a key dimension of the Civic Assets Project was selected as one of ten projects amongst the first cohort to be supported by the program.

Venice Biennale Canada Council for the Arts We are currently awaiting response to our proposal to the Canada Council for the Arts for selection as the Canadian representatives at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2016) to present the Civic Assets Project. The proposal includes use and deployment of the Platform across Canada, as well as a series of Canadian exhibitions following the presentation in Venice.

CIRM

Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grant The understanding and innovation of legal and financial tools required to support the Project as a whole (and the development projects of which it is comprised) is imperative. This effort will be directed by the Civic Assets team, while being McGill University’s Faculty of Law in collaboration with the Centre for Comparitive Metropolitan Growth at the Unversity of Georgia. The Faculty of Law has submitted an application for a major 3-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) partnership development grant to work with us on analyzing and developing all legal dimensions of the Project – from contract law to policy reform.

School of Architecture

CIRM

Quartier de l’innovation

Sherbrooke Street as Civic Corridor Sherbrooke Street became a central focus of our pilot project research in Phase 1. Firstly because it provided a means by which to narrow the vast array of possibilities in the city, but moreover because it allowed us to conceive of a phased pilot project strategy and eco-systemic approach that could amplify our efforts towards generating proofs of concept, and awareness of the concept of Civic Assets, and new methodologies for civic-driven urban development. The intention is to redefine Sherbrooke Street as a ‘civic corridor’ through a phased development strategy. A strategy that includes: new vocabulary and tools for defining its assets, arts and society programming, and the implementation of pilot projects along this artery that are imbued with long term agendas that might collectively create dynamic urban change and new models of urban development.

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common.pdf

NESTA, Compendium for the Civic Economy, 2001.

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Video: A Day in the Life of NYC’s Branches - NYMag http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/libraries-nownew-york-video.html

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Library Services in the Digital Age http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/ The Library as Lifeline: Getting Past Superstorm Sandy: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/library-lifeline-getting-past-superstorm-sandy-how-queens-library-stepping-rockaways Art Public, Ville de Montreal: http://artpublic.ville.montreal.qc.ca/ Montreal, son histoire, son architecture http://iris.banq.qc.ca/alswww2.dll/APS_PRESENT_BIB?Style=Portal3&SubStyle&Lang=FRE&ResponseEncoding= utf-8&no=0000048836&Via=Z3950&View=ISBD&Parent=Obj_315831340237952&SearchBrowseList=Obj_315831340237952&SearchBrowseListItem=50061&BrowseList=Obj_315831340237952%3FStyle%3DPortal3&BrowseListItem=50061&QueryObject=Obj_315701340237951

Redevelopment Precedents Un laboratoire patrimonial pour un nouveau régime de propriété pour les églises abandonnées http://www.cubemontreal.com/pdf/Presse_LeDevoir_042013_Laboratoire_patrimonial.pdf Recherché : locataire avec les reins solides pour les terrains de l’ancien zoo http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/actualiteeconomique/201407/11/01-4783221-recherche-locataireavec-les-reins-solides-pour-les-terrains-de-lancien-zoo. php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4805848_article_POS2 17John Cotel Weco public space winner « Inhabitat New York City http://inhabitat.com/nyc/prodigy-network-unveils-17john-cotel-winners-in-nycs-first-crowdsourced-hotel-competition/ 17john-cotel-weco-public-space-winner-2/ Paul Goldberger on Starchitect-Designed Company Headquarters in Silicon Valley | Vanity Fair http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/01/apple-facebook-google-headquarters-architecture Compendium for the civic economy http://issuu.com/architecture00/docs/compendium_for_ the_civic_economy_publ 5 Cities Revolutionizing the role of the urban train station http://architizer.com/blog/five-cities-revolutionizing-the-roleof-the-urban-train-station/ Historic Venue Spotlight: Windsor hotel http://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/read/historic-venue-spotlight-windsor-hotel La caserne Letourneux sauvee par le soccer: http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/551610/la84

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http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Churches.pdf

Gowanus canal conservation http://www.gowanuscanalconservancy.org/ee/

Eva Klerk: a developper interested mainly in reviving abandoned buildings and mobilizing the surrounding community. http://www.evadeklerk.com/ Un spa et un parc médiéval parmi les projets pour remplacer le zoo http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/actualiteeconomique/201410/02/01-4805848-un-spa-et-un-parcmedieval-parmi-les-projets-pour-remplacer-le-zoo. php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_la-capitale_577_section_POS3

Reading Staircase - The Architect’s Newspaper http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6680 Newton’s cottage http://www.newtonscottage.org/ Factory Berlin, a new tech incubator, emerges from the ruins of the Berlin wall http://archinect.com/features/article/108655901/factory-berlina-new-tech-incubator-emerges-from-the-ruins-of-the-berlinwall Reviving a Paris hot spot http://www.metropolismag.com/September-2014/Revivinga-Paris-Hot-Spot/?utm_source=When+the+Open+Office+Isn%27t+Always+the+Problem-or+the+Solution&utm_campaign=Newsletter+10%2F15%2F13&utm_medium=email Twin brothers turn 70 ft silos in vancouver into colorful giants http://www.boredpanda.com/giants-street-art-mural-industrial-silos-os-gemeos/

Paris: New Life for Old Metro Stations http://www.detail-online.com/daily/paris-new-life-for-oldmetro-stations-13673/

How Kickstarter’s most funded restaurant is transforming a town http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2014/10/07/how-kickstarters-mostfunded-restaurant-is-transforming-a-town// City as Loft: Adaptive Reuse as a Resouce for Sustainable Urban Development http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/3856763023/ref=s9_wish_ co_d99_g14_i4?ie=UTF8&colid=J9ZZYU8QQ2WX&coliid=IZPOJ78NK5SX6&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_ rd_s=typ-top-left-1&pf_rd_r=12PSCXMEC9A6XXQWSAH8&pf_rd_t=3201&pf_rd_p=1874506662&pf_rd_i=typ01 Contemporary Case Studies

Les etudiants entrent au couvent http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/actualites-culturelles/416717/les-etudiants-entrent-au-couvent

The saga of Sherbrooke Street Yesterday and Today http://www.amazon.ca/Saga-Sherbrooke-Street-Yesterday-Today/dp/B002GWFC0I

New Uses for Former Church Buildings

The death of the American mall

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jun/19/-sp-death-ofthe-american-shopping-mall Demolition of iconic CPR Office Building: an illegal act http://coolopolis.blogspot.com/2014/07/demolition-of-iconic-building-cpr.html Opinion: Reuse of hospital sites must be in the public interest http://www.montrealgazette.com/Opinion+Reuse+hospital+sites+must+public+interest/9792841/story.html Preserving Historic Post Offices: A report to Congress http://www.achp.gov/docs/Preserving%20Historic%20Post%20 Offices.pdf Chronique Montrealite no 14 _ Breve histoire des ruelles de Montreal http://archivesdemontreal.com/2014/10/06/chronique-montrealite-no-15-breve-histoire-des-ruelles-de-montreal/ Des écoles d’Hochelaga-Maisonneuve considérées menacées http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/445853/ les-ecoles-dhochelaga-maisonneuve-considerees-menacees Faire revivre la place des Nations de l’Expo 67 http://www.lapresse.ca/la-voix-de-lest/opinions/courrier-deslecteurs/201405/05/01-4763912-faire-revivre-la-place-des-nationsde-lexpo-67.php Shared Spaces: Funding and Managing Libraries and Parks in Tough Times http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/imfg/uploads/213/imfg_forum_no.2_shared_spaces_nov._2012.pdf The Crumbling and Abandoned Remains of Italy’s OnceGrand Discotheques: http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/09/14/antonio_la_ grotta_photographs_abandoned_italian_discotheques_in_ his_series.html

West-slated-to-close-down%3F/1 World’s 2nd Largest Victoria’s Secret Flagship to Replace Montreal CHapters Bookstore http://www.retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2014/7/victorias-secret-montreal Branches of Opportunity http://urbanomnibus.net/2014/06/request-for-qualifications-re-envisioning-branch-libraries/ UWS Luxury Condo’s “Poor Door” Is Now City-Approved http://gothamist.com/2014/07/20/uws_luxury_condos_poor_ door_is_now.php Destination centre-ville ne veut pas piétonniser la Sainte-Catherine http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/montreal/414945/destination-centre-ville-ne-veut-pas-pietonniser-la-sainte-cath Merchants abandoning St.Denis http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/merchants-abandoning-st-denis-1.1944816# Public weighs in on future of Royal VictoriaHospital http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/public-weighs-in-on-future-of-royal-victoria-hospital-1.2040295 Bibliotheque Saint-Sulpice: nouvel appel d’offres a venir http://www.lapresse.ca/arts/201410/17/01-4810017-bibliothequesaint-sulpice-nouvel-appel-doffres-a-venir.php “À vendre” http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/francois-cardinal/201407/15/01-4783900-a-vendre.php Is the Canada Post Office on Sherbrooke st.west slated to close down? http://www.westmountexaminer.com/News/Local/2013-01-16/ article-3157692/Is-the-Canada-Post-Office-on-Sherbrooke-St.-

La Cour ordonne la demolition de l’eglise Saint-Philippe http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/mauricie/2014/09/29/006-demolition-eglise-saint-philippe-despins. shtml Hippodrome development threatened as agreement with Quebec stalls http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Hippodrome+development+threatened+agreement+with+Quebec/10253246/story.html A plan to turn a Queens Railway into a park http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/nyregion/a-plan-toturn-a-queens-railway-into-a-park.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad&_r=0 Le theatre outremont souhaite un soutient financier de la Ville http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/559535/le-theatre-outremont-souhaite-un-soutient-financier-de-laville/ Update: Magnan’s Tavern to shut down Dec.21, building already sold http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news/2014/10/07/update-magnanstavern-to-shut-down-dec-21-building-already-sold Ian Frazier: Defending New York’s Public Libraries : The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/02/buildingsand-books Montréal lorgne la piscine de l’hôpital Royal-Victoria http://www.ledevoir.com/opinion/blogues/le-blogue-urbain/418830/montreal-lorgne-la-piscine-de-l-hopital-royal-victoria Jilly’s could become a boutique hotel and restaurant http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/09/jillys_could_be85

come_a_boutique_hotel_and_restaurant/

int_V36_N1_Bernier.pdf

bon/

La maison Kent vendu http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/actualiteeconomique/201410/07/01-4807294-la-maison-kent-vendue. php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_la-capitale_577_section_POS2 One time pillar of this city’s black community in limbo http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/time+pillar+this+city+black+community+limbo/10192598/story. html

A Fight for Post Offices and Towns’ Souls http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/us/arkansas-towns-witha-post-office-and-little-else-fight-closings.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Sauvons la piscine du Royal-Victoria sur le Mont-Royal http://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/olivier-lapierre/piscine-royal-victoria-montreal_b_5731778.html Royal Vic is in terrible shape, porter claims in book http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Royal+terrible+shape+Porter+claims+book/10196043/story.html America’s Vanishing Bowling Alleys - Businessweek http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-10/america-s-vanishing-bowling-alleys

Le Plateau Mont Royal http://www.budgetplateau.com/

La Ville veut plus d’art public en 2015 http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/arts-et-spectacles/expositions/201410/18/01-4810504-la-ville-veut-plus-dart-public-en-2015. php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_la-capitale_577_section_POS3

Spacehive https://spacehive.com/

Preservation and Disposal of Historic Properties https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2014/sm-ar-14-004.pdf Le 1420, Mont-Royal de nouveau en vente http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/534552/le-1420mont-royal-de-nouveau-en-vente/ Requiem for a Nightmare http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/07/requiem-for-fbihoover-building/375279/ Condos, parkland, Hogwarts castle? Recycling the Royal Victoria Hospital, one idea at a time http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2013/03/07/condos-parkland-hogwarts-castle-recycling-the-royal-victoria-hospital-oneidea-at-a-time/ La Bibliothèque Saint-Sulpice: Joyau en péril cherche un usage http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/livres/401446/labiblioth Biosphere museum’s future in doubt http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/biosphere-museum-s-future-indoubt-1.1304786 La conversion des églises à Montréal: État de la question https://patrimoine.uqam.ca/upload/files/membres/JSEAC_ 86

City wants your input on Ville-Marie overhaul http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/ City+wants+your+input+Ville+Marie+overhaul/10192189/story.html On the Commons http://onthecommons.org/about Cityhound http://www.tspoon.org/cityhound

impossible living platform: Sharing yourenergy to reactivate vacant buildings: http://www.impossibleliving.com/

Saputo to buy 50% stake in Sun life building: reports http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Saputo+cent+stake+Life+building+reports/10195809/story. html

Brickstarter: creating new platforms to enable more effective debate about the future of our shared spaces. http://brickstarter.org/

Art Public: Montreal Attend Quebec pour sa politique du 1% http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/551806/art-public-montreal-attend-quebec-pour-sa-politique-du-1/

Conversion+ : a permanent laboratory on the architecture of abandonment http://www.conversionplus.it/it/past/2013.php

‘Open Source Urbanism’ (participatory platforms & planning processes)

Spazi Indecisi aiming to investigate the abandoned places, through the creation of a mapping platform and exhibiting the collected material. http://www.spaziindecisi.it/map/

Getting Paid: Andre Saraiva collection lies at the intersection of urban and commercial art http://www.we-heart.com/2014/09/18/andre-saraiva-mude-lis-

TemporiUso: an association to promote ‘temporary reuse projects in abandoned spaces and Also a network of partner-

ships with local and international associations, activists and Some researchers. http://www.temporiuso.org/ Re-cycle Italy: a network of institutions and international partners working in conjunction towards developing a comprehensive framework of knowledge and proposing standards and rules of operation on the buit landscape: http://recycleitaly.iuav.it//index.php?p=3&id=progetto Renew Newcastle: a not for profit company finding short and medium term uses for vacant buildings. http://renewnewcastle.org/about Urban Resort transforms vacant properties into vibrant (residential) working premises with a public function and cultural influence. http://www.urbanresort.nl/projecten Urban Catalyst: developed from a European research project of the same name, which explored strategies for temporary use in residual urban areas and was founded in 2003. http://www.urbancatalyst.net/urban_catalyst3.php?lang=en PRECARE: an intermediator between property-owners of temporary vacant premises and artistic or social initiatives in need of workspace. http://www.precare.org/Website/Precare/Le%20projet.php

Bristolrising http://www.bristolrising.com/

cities participating in the network. http://tutur.eu/?page_id=22

Citizeninvestor http://blog.citizinvestor.com/

Living Innovation Zones http://liz.innovatesf.com/

Catarse http://www.catarse.met/pt/projects My world needs us http://www.myworldneeds.us/ Project 00 http://www.project00.cc/ Reviving Vacant Buildings: A Tale of Two Cities http://www.archdaily.com/529892/reviving-vacant-buildings-atale-of-two-cities/ Neighborland https://neighborland.com/ Je vois Montreal looking for idea to reinvigorate the city: http://www.montrealgazette.com/touch/story.html?id=10192817

(related) Urban Innovation 10 big ideas from citylab 2014 attendees http://www.citylab.com/politics/2014/09/10-big-ideas-fromcitylab-2014-attendees/380728/ How Smart Park Investment Pays it Way http://www.ny4p.org/research/other-reports/or-smartinvestment.pdf City Center Digest https://www.centercityphila.org/docs/CCDigestSpring14.pdf The 11 projects that are Rethinking Parks | Nesta http://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/11-projects-are-rethinking-parks

One Church, 100 uses http://www.onechurch100uses.org/cms/our-services.html

2 Designers Visited 11 Cities to Find the Secret Sauce for Innovative Spaces – Next City http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/megan-deal-kate-creason-tour-innovative-spaces

Je Vois Montreal https://jevoismtl.com/

Platform Thinking http://platformed.info/sangeet-paul-choudary-articles/

Systems Innovation http://charlesleadbeater.net/2014/02/systems-innovation/

Neighborly https://neighbor.ly/

Futureshift http://www.futureshift.cc/cfblog/2014/8/31/field-work-ideasportfolio

L’histoire de Montreal illuminera la ville en mai 2016 http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/arts_et_spectacles/2014/10/09/003-cite-memoire-projections-2016.shtml

Tutur Urbact:The objective of the TUTUR project is to introduce the method of temporary use in urban regeneration to

The Green Changemakers: Ten Benefits of Creating Good Public Spaces

Ioby http://www.ioby.org/

http://green-changemakers.blogspot.com/2009/12/ten-benefits-of-creating-good-public.html Just Like Taco Trucks, Art Takes to the Road - NYTimes May 31, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/31/arts/design/just-like-tacotrucks-art-takes-to-the-road.html?_r=0 Montreal, ville agricole? http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/534450/montreal-ville-agricole/\ The Rise of Private ‘Luxury’ Mass Transit Buses - CityLab http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/06/the-rise-of-privateluxury-mass-transit-buses/372221/ Policy & Politics Annotated Bibliography for The Economic Benefits of Land Conservation — Land Trust Alliance https://www.landtrustalliance.org/conservation/landowners/ annotated-bibliography-benefits-land-conservation Coderre en veut plus pour le 375e Anniversaire http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/c6b4d251-ee3b-460f-891a-ddb18f56a526%7C_0.html Statut Demande pour le Mille Carre Dore http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/532689/statutdemande-pour-le-mille-carre-dore/ L’art public en Question http://m.ledevoir.com/culture/arts-visuels/415944/l-art-publicen-question# Un appel d’offres anormal inquiete Projet Montreal http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/actualites-cul88

turelles/416717/les-etudiants-entrent-au-couvent Tough love: Which buildings are worth preserving? http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/tough-love-which-buildings-are-worth-preserving/ article19879651/?service=mobile Un systeme de protection dysfonctionnel http://m.ledevoir.com/politique/montreal/414409/patrimoine-un-systeme-de-protection-dysfonctionnel The ‘It Girl’ of Muni Finance – Next City http://nextcity.org/forefront/view/social-impact-bonds-public-private-solution-social-problems-cities FairVote Report: Low Turnout Plagues U.S. Mayoral Elections, but San Francisco is Highest http://www.fairvote.org/research-and-analysis/blog/fairvotereport-low-turnout-plagues-u-s-mayoral-elections-but-san-francisco-is-highest/ The Forgotten Fifth: Understanding and Supporting Your COmmunity’s Independent Workforce http://www.entreworks.net/Download/IEDC_EDJ_Pages%20 Summer%202012.pdf The White House Brings Participatory Budgeting in From the Fringe – Next City http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/participatory-budgeting-cities-white-house-obama

Pew Research Center, From Distant Admirers to Library Lovers—and beyond: A typology of public library engagement in America http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/03/13/summary-of-findings-4/ Other Change in the Social Life of Urban Public Spaces http://www.mysocialnetwork.net/downloads/Change%20 in%20the%20social%20life%20of%20urban%20public%20spaces.pdf Is This Office the Future of Government Work? - CityLab http://www.citylab.com/work/2014/06/is-this-office-the-future-of-government-work/373028/ What Tech Hasn’t Learned From Urban Planning - NYTimes. com http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/14/opinion/what-tech-hasntlearned-from-urban-planning.html?pagewanted=all Americans and Social Trust: Who, Where and Why http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2007/02/22/americans-andsocial-trust-who-where-and-why/ Mobilizing Group Membership | SAGE Open http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/3/2/2158244013492781

Branches of Opportunity - Report http://nycfuture.org/images_pdfs/pdfs/BranchesofOpportunity.pdf

Michigan in the News—Stephen M. Ross School of Business http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay. asp?news_id=26358

New Barn Raising Report http://community-wealth.org/sites/clone.community-wealth. org/files/downloads/book-potts.pdf

Urban Omnibus » Call for Essays: Common Shares http://urbanomnibus.net/2014/02/call-for-essays-commonshares/

Community Social Capital and Entrepreneurship http://asr.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/10/25/0003122413506440 Reclaiming Public Space http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/110/1/Wright_and_Montezuma,_ Walk21_V,_Copenhagen,_Jun_2004.pdf Learning Lab Blog http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2014/4/23/ learning-lab-gathers-ideas-promoting-community-engagement/ What Drives America’s Go-To Expert on the Sharing Economy? – Next City http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/sharing-economy-expert-arun-sundararajan Center for London’s The London Recipe http://centreforlondon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ CFL_THE-LONDON-RECIPE.pdf