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Not surprisingly, zones where less than one-third of workers use cars are concentrated near the downtown cores of large CMAs. For example, that is the case for the Latin Quarter, which has a population density of 9547 inhabitants per square kilometre and a commuting rate of 15.7%, according the the Local Logic analysis, which is available on the IDU website.

Thus the lowest car commuting rates are observed in areas where the levels of population density, services and jobs are high. However, if one of the variables is high and the two others are average, it is still possible to reduce car use, but to a lesser extent. Gabriel Damant-Sirois concluded his presentation by inviting real estate developers to take these factors into account when choosing locations for their projects.

LET'S GIVE IT A TRY

In the second half of the IDU event, a discussion on car-free districts featured Bruno Marchand and Stéphane Boyer, mayors respectively of Québec City and Laval. On that subject, the two men are on the same wavelength. Stéphane Boyer wrote a book entitled Car-free Neighbourhoods: From Bold Dreams to Reality, and Bruno Marchand wrote the preface.

They admit, however, that there is skepticism about car-free neighbourhoods. "Even if you don't like the idea, you have to be willing to discuss it and think about it," said Mr. Marchand. "Car-free neighbourhoods will improve the quality of life. We don't have to build like we did in the 1980s!"

Stéphane Boyer advocates testing the concept by creating a new neighborhood rather than imposing it on the existing built environment. "People who are interested will come and live there. We'll see how it goes and if it's successful, we'll replicate it."

In fact, he has already found the ideal location. "The St. François sector in eastern Laval has yet to be developed. We want to design a district of the future with a key form of transit that would arrive at the centre of the car-free district." The type of transportation has yet to be defined, but it could be a rapid bus service that would connect several neighbourhoods along the east-west axis of St. Martin Boulevard.

Would cars disappear from car-free neighbourhoods?

There would be no vehicular traffic within those neighbourhoods, but car-sharing services could be offered and parking spaces could be developed on the periphery, explained the mayor of Laval during a discussion moderated by Jean-Marc Fournier, president and executive director of IDU. The idea is to connect neighbourhoods with each other, rather than connecting buildings by means of parking lots and streets.

Pride Of Place To Public Transit

To reduce the dominant role of the automobile, efficient public transportation systems must be put in place. In addition to St. Martin Boulevard, two other projects are being considered in Laval. One is being planned along the north-south axis of the subway system's Orange line, while the other would take the form of rapid bus service along Notre Dame and Concorde boulevards. Stéphane Boyer indicated that 40% of Laval residents do their working and entertaining in Laval, another reason to place the emphasis on improving public transit.

He deplored, however, the over-politicization of projects where all three levels of government are involved. "Building consensus takes time. When the party in power changes, the newly elected officials do not want to accept a project they criticized when they were in opposition, so they cancel it or change it. We're going in circles." He insisted that once an agreement is reached the project should proceed, regardless of changes in government.

Bruno Marchand also launched a plea, as he would like to see the long talked about and long desired Québec City tramway become reality. "We no longer have the luxury of time. Can we continue to do nothing and still look our children in the eye? In the Québec City region, 64% of greenhouse gases come from transportation. But when it takes an hour and 15 minutes to get to work by public transit, you can't blame people for taking their cars."

Change The Rules

Municipal regulations can also be a barrier to making development projects more sustainable. Bruno Marchand gave the example of ratios for parking spaces. "More and more, developers are saying they need a lower ratio, but sometimes regulations don't allow it. Our own regulations can bog us down! Cities are stuck with bylaws that are vestiges of the past."

In that regard, last July the City of Laval adopted a new urban planning code, after a process that lasted more than three years. Decreased parking requirements are among the changes, as well as mandatory greening for all new projects. "In the centre of town, 25 to 30% of surface area must be green," said Mr. Boyer. He added that the new code is based on a regulatory approach that takes the existing shape and form of the city into consideration, rather than focusing on a separation of uses. That will make it easier to pursue a mixed-use strategy.

In concluding his remarks, the mayor of Laval reached out to developers interested in participating in the Carré Laval project, which was launched under the previous administration on the site of a former quarry currently used as a snow dump. The City wants to transform the 4 million square-foot site into a carbon-neutral, car-free, mixed-use community that will include residential units and office buildings, educational institutions, innovative start-ups and a large urban park. "I'm open to hearing from developers who share that vision," he said.