Reclaiming the Ruelle: Creating a Methodology for Architectural Interventions in the Laneways of Montréal's Plateau-Mont-Royal

Abstract

Montréal’s Plateau Mont-Royal is attractive neighbourhood to live, as it is a thriving urban environment. It offers residents essential services like shops, banks, medical establishments, and access to the public transit network. It is also one of the most densely populated neighbourhood in Canada. There are spaces nested within the Plateau’s tightly woven fabric that can be harvested to develop a new type of urban condition. The ruelle (or laneway) are underused spaces that could offer a different perspective of the neighbourhood if their quality was improved. The ruelle can act as an armature for a small architectural intervention that could establish it as a new type of urban street. By developing a methodology based on the existing characteristics of the surrounding neighbourhood, the 82 kilometres of ruelles throughout the Plateau can be developed into more vibrant urban spaces.