Category Archives: Worth reconsidering

Sabotaging Viger Square

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Taylor C. Noakes

Here’s a hypothetical situation: A city builds a park costing x millions of dollars with the intent to rehabilitate a given sector of its urban environment and cover over an exposed highway trench. It hires leading landscape architects and local … Continue reading →

Posted in A modest proposal, Arts & the City, Cultural commentary, Kondiaronk - My Montréal Experience, Let's make this an election issue, Montréal Architecture, Montréal Landmarks, Montréal public art, Perspectives on the City, Public art proposal, Social commentary, Unrealized development projects, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Leave a comment

Cabot Square Redux: not quite paradise, kind of a parking lot…

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Taylor C. Noakes

After about a year’s worth of work, Cabot Square re-opened to the public on Wednesday July 8th. The major improvement involves two outreach workers who will now use the square’s renovated stone kiosk (vespasienne) as home base to provide services … Continue reading →

Posted in A modest proposal, Commentary, Cultural commentary, History and Culture, Montréal Architecture, Montréal Landmarks, Perspectives on the City, Scenes from the City, Social commentary, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Politically Motivated Memory

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Taylor C. Noakes

Generally speaking I’m in favour of building monuments and creating new public spaces, particularly when said space reflects the nation’s history, culture and society. However, two projects with federal backing have been making the news lately and for good reason … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian politics, Commentary, Cultural commentary, Perspectives on the City, Political commentary, Public art proposal, What were they thinking?, Worth reconsidering | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rethinking Viger Square’s Rehabilitation

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Taylor C. Noakes

This is a bit late, but there’s a petition circulating I urge you to sign. We need to save Viger Square for demolition, as the city now intends to do. In point form, here’s why: 1. Viger Square’s reputation isn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in A modest proposal, Cultural commentary, History and Culture, Kondiaronk - My Montréal Experience, Let's make this an election issue, Montréal Architecture, Montréal Landmarks, Perspectives on the City, Unrealized development projects, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Royalmount Project and 24hr Shopping

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Taylor C. Noakes

Two big retail related stories from the past week. I’ll discuss in reverse order from the title above. First, the province of Quebec will now allow retail businesses in Montreal’s downtown core to set their own hours, the idea being … Continue reading →

Posted in A modest proposal, Economic commentary, Kondiaronk - My Montréal Experience, Let's make this an election issue, Political commentary, Social commentary, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Accessibility & Public Transit: RAPLIQ Requests Class Action Suit

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Taylor C. Noakes

Interesting story from last week. The organization that represents Quebec’s mobility-impaired population, RAPLIQ, has filed a request for a class action suit of $100 million against the Montreal transit commission (STM), the provincial Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT – which … Continue reading →

Posted in A modest proposal, Commentary, Let's make this an election issue, Perspectives on the City, Political commentary, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Leave a comment