Les 2 premières résidences de cet ensemble furent acquises par le Musée des beaux-arts en 2012.  Elles seront bientôt démolies afin de faire place au 5e pavillon du musée conçu par l’Atelier TAG et par Jodoin, Lamarre, Pratte.  L’inauguration est prévue en 2017.

Source : Atelier TAG

© Tous droits réservés : Guillaume St-Jean

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Date of photo: May 18 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

The post Photo du jour: rue Prince Arthur appeared first on Spacing Montreal.

Date of photo: May 17 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

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Sitting like a mirage in the desert, Masdar City might just be on the frontier of a new – environmental friendly – urban life.

The city is an $18 billion  project in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and is scheduled to be completed by 2015. It will be home to 40,000 residents within a two square mile radius, where cars are simply not allowed. Each building in the city being toted as carbon-neutral and residents are transported about via PRTs (Personal Rapid Transit) pods.

A 148-foot tower draws cool air down to create a perpetual breeze in the courtyard of the Masdar Institute.

Via Popsci

Urban Planet is a roundup of blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. For more stories from around the planet, check out Spacing on Facebook and Twitter.

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Date of photo: May 12 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

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Date of photo: May 12 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

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How do you get around your city? Do you cycle? Would you like to cycle? What influences your decision?

There have been numerous attempts to encourage a shift towards active transportation and cycling. The most high profile of these have focused on the construction of physical infrastructure such as separated bicycle lanes, bike parking and destination amenities such as change-rooms and showering facilities. Due to tight city budgets and the slow pace of infrastructure development, cities like Toronto have lagged behind other urban centres which have fast-tracked their cycling infrastructure. In spite of this, Toronto has greatly increased its cycling population. A recent Toronto study estimates the increase in the number of cyclists, from 2001 to 2006, to be as much as 30%. While this increase shows positive signs, there is still significant room to grow.

Researchers from the Toronto Cycling Think & Do Tank have been working on the development of A Toolkit to Accelerate the Adoption of Cycling for Transportation. This toolkit takes an original approach: linking behaviour change theory and cycling promotion. The toolkit is based on a thorough review of existing scholarly literature and builds on the practical components of successful cycling programs from around the world. The result is an evidence-based, adaptable model, providing a guideline for a cycling promotion program design.

The Toronto Cycling Think & Do Tank will be using this toolkit in a pilot project in 2013. The idea is to move beyond “traditional” cycling campaigns – which often strive to raise awareness, promote the benefits of cycling and provide information. While these initiatives do play a role, many studies have concluded that knowledge and information campaigns alone do not lead to actual behaviour change. The Toolkit to Accelerate the Adoption of Cycling for Transportation recommends a more supported, targeted and “give it a try” approach to cycling encouragement, including these general steps:

1> Segment Target Population

2> Identify & Remove Barriers

3> Implement Commitment Strategies

4> Sustain Behaviour Change

+ Ongoing social support through modeling, local hubs & periodic events

An important additional factor, and one that must be ongoing, is the use of various techniques to draw people in and inspire widespread participation. Techniques such as pledges, small incentives to encourage initial involvement, the creation of social support networks or local cycling hubs, the presence of an enthusiastic cycling “champion” to model the desired behaviour, and periodic, large-scale community events to keep new, as well as experienced, cyclists motivated are some examples of engagement tools. These elements involve the target audience, instill a sense of ownership in the program and help sustain the behaviour change.

The first step, in the process, is to identify and understand the target audience. This could be a particular demographic group: school children, female non-cyclists or senior occasional cyclists, as examples. Ideally the group is one that will, for a variety of reasons, be amenable to cycling. We know, for example, that populations making big changes in their lives are often open to additional new behaviours. Once the group is identified, a more individualized, targeted intervention can be developed and applied.

While education, awareness and information can affect and shape attitudes and intention; barriers ultimately mediate whether they are expressed through behaviour. Common barriers to cycling include fear, perception of safety, perceived lack of comfort, distance, negative stereotypes related to the “image” of a cyclist and the power of habit as a determinant of travel behaviour. Ultimately, it is when barriers, both internally and externally, are low that behaviour change programs are effective.

It is fascinating to see the success of countless cycle encouragement programs in Toronto and around the world. Many incorporate one or more of the steps and tactics presented in the toolkit. Our research suggests the combination of these steps will be more powerful than single interventions. The wheel does not need to be developed from scratch – rather the programs that already exist can be supplemented and looped into a larger framework, in partnership with local community groups. Our work is about expanding, enhancing and connecting communities and activities that support cycling.

For more information, please visit www.torontocycling.org

Or email info@torontocycling.org

Emma Cohlmeyer recently completed her Masters in Urban Planning at the University of Toronto. She has always been intrigued by urban life, cities and the built environment. She is fascinated by the dynamic and diverse ways that people are able to shape and influence their city, while at the same time how urban form is able to shape its population.

Photo by Daniel Gueorguiev

The post Cycling Think & Do Tank: strategies get more people on a bike appeared first on Spacing National.

Date of photo: May 12 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

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Written by James L. Sipes—a landscape architect and environmental planner—and Mathew L. Sipes—a civil engineer—the book benefits from both authors professional experience as it brings together the disciplines of architecture, planning and engineering—all of which are indispensible when creating roadways—and presents them as a single integrated perspective. This approach makes the book more accessible without skimping on technical details.

The post Book Review – Creating Green Roadways: Integrating, Cultural Natural and Visual Resources into Transportation appeared first on Spacing National.

Date of photo: May 12 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

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Date of photo: May 12 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

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Zvi Leve, a member of the coalition, says that the fledgling Coalition’s mandate is to legitimize and facilitate cycling as a mode of transportation in Montreal: ”Cycling is not some marginalized activity that various subcultures engage in. It needs to be recognized for what it is – a valid form of transportation,” he emphasizes.

While Leve acknowledges that the City of Montreal has put a lot of resources and effort into creating a more bike-friendly city, he insists that there is still a lot of room for improvement in areas such as evaluating the effectiveness of cycling infrastructure, re-thinking the rules of the road as they apply to cyclists, and improving relations with organizations such as the police and the STM.

The summit next Saturday May 18th will help identify the Coalition’s priorities. Some of the topics on the agenda include: cycling infrastructure, how regulation impacts the safety of cyclists; bike theft; women, minorities and cycling; cycling in suburban areas and inter-modality. Finally the summit will explore how the various organizations can collaborate.

The Montreal Bike Coalition reunites representatives from organizations such as Vélo Québec, Rue Publique, and neighbourhood pedestrian and cycling groups. The fledgling coalition has already been granted a seat on the City of Montreal’s cycling committee.

The Coalition is still looking for volunteers to help out with next week’s events, and encourages anyone with an interest in urban cycling to participate in the summit next Saturday. Reach them through their website or their Facebook page.

The post Montreal Bike Coalition Launches With a Week of Cycling Activities appeared first on Spacing Montreal.

Date of photo: May 4 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

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Date of photo: May 4 2013

Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

The sculpture by Pierre Yves Angers was initially called “Sculpture en face” when it was entered into a student contest at the CEGEP du Vieux-Montréal in 1972 and was originally installed in Parc Pasteur. It was moved to its current location in 1981.

The post Photo du jour: Le Malheureux Magnifique by Pierre Yves Angers appeared first on Spacing Montreal.

Is there a set of stairs on your way to work that you always trip on?

In New York, Dean Peterson decided to explore why everyone trips on a certain set of stairs. It turns out that the stair is a fraction of an inch higher than all the rest, sending nearly every stair-climber toppling.

As you can see in this short video, it’s no laughing matter.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via ManMade

Urban Planet is a roundup of blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. For more stories from around the planet, check out Spacing on Facebook and Twitter.

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