It’s not a plan designed to restrict the population’s freedom of movement! Rather, it’s a solution to future environmental challenges, an expression that means a citizen has access to everything they need to thrive every day within a 15-minute walk. It’s safe to say that we adore the idea.
While the exact origin of the concept may be a bit fuzzy—several urban planners around the world all contributed to building this concept—the idea remains the same. We’re redesigning our neighbourhoods to limit pollution, combat heat islands, improve street safety, revitalize commercial arteries, strengthen social cohesion and boost biodiversity.
The magic recipe for a 15-minute city? High population density supported by new well-designed residential projects, efficient public transit services that reduce the fleet, an abundance of green spaces to forget the hubbub of the city and a rich local commercial life with nearby businesses that meet all your needs and improve social cohesion. All right at the foot of your home!
What if we told you that it was pretty much a word-for-word description of the new Mellem Ville-Marie environment, whose construction is moving fast on Ontario Street? Interested? An express tour of the neighbourhood (of less than 15 minutes, of course) has begun:
☑ Shops and restaurants: From your little late-night sugar craving to a supper with friends on the balcony, you won’t be missing anything thanks to the various neighbourhood convenience stores and the big grocery store at the street corner. And that’s not including the many restaurants, bakeries and pastry shops with thousands of flavours, and specialty stores for your neighbour’s birthday present.
☑ Activities and recreation: No matter your age, you’ll never be bored at the Centre Jean-Claude-Malépart, a true community, sports and recreation living environment that houses a swimming pool, double gymnasium, combat room, training area, dance hall, outdoor tennis courts and several multi-purpose spaces. You’ll find the Maison de la Culture et Bibliothèque Frontenac, accessible 24/7, a few metres away. It’s ideal for checking out the latest book awarded the Prix des libraires du Québec.
☑ Health and institutions: Mellem Ville-Marie checks all the boxes in this category for the 15-minute city with banks, health clinics, specialized professionals and pharmacies not too far. Yes, all of them.
☑ Transports: With the metro station at the corner of the street that connects you to the rest of the city at all hours of the day and night (hello STM), to the many bus lines that stop at the foot of the door, bicycle paths built throughout the neighbourhood and the 444 bike storage spaces at Mellem Ville-Marie, say goodbye to the car.
☑ Green spaces: When you want to get some fresh air, you can walk through the landscaped green lanes around the project to end up at Parc Médéric-Martin for a game of boules and a summer picnic in the shade under the trees. Some would say it’s almost paradise. We pretty much agree.
Building a Community
At Mellem Ville-Marie, the buildings open on Montgomery Square,
And this new public square becomes a living space accessible to all!
That’s a lot of great new addresses to add to the map! Because beyond the many services and facilities for future tenants, we’re helping to further develop this ideal that will reshape our cities in the years to come by building living spaces resolutely focused on the neighbourhood where they settle as well as the local community. We promise.
Want to learn even more about all the neighbourhood attractions around Mellem Ville-Marie? Right this way. And those who want in can plan a visit of their new home right here.
