A pilot project in the town of Sutton, Quebec is exploring ways to address the housing shortage while incorporating sustainable development practices. The goal is to create a land use planning tool that can be adapted to the needs of communities across the province.
The groundbreaking project is led by Alexandre Landry, visiting professor at the School of Architecture at Universit茅 de Montr茅al and director of L鈥橢nsemble, a non-profit whose mission is to harness innovations in urban architecture to create affordable housing in communities outside major cities.
It is supported by Quebec鈥檚 Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality (RCM), the organization Territoires Solidaires (SiS), and the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape at Universit茅 de Montr茅al.
Identifying sites and designing housing
The project began with field research by L鈥橢nsemble, which identified sites with untapped potential in five municipalities in the Brome-Missisquoi RCM.
Landry then guided students in his third-year architecture workshop in analyzing these communities to understand their specificities and identify areas suitable for densification.
The town of Sutton was eventually chosen as the test site. The proximity of the suitable sites, the vitality of the community and the potential for long-term growth made it an ideal laboratory for developing and testing the new housing model.
In the summer of 2024, Landry鈥檚 students set to work designing housing for nine different sites within Sutton鈥檚 boundaries.
鈥淭he students decided to develop different types of housing solutions,鈥� said Landry. 鈥淭hey also thought in terms of replicability, so although the housing is adapted to local characteristics, it鈥檚 designed to be transferable to other municipalities across the province.鈥�
Tackling the housing crisis
One of the project鈥檚 main objectives is to provide concrete solutions to the housing crisis in many communities across Quebec. The proposed 200 new housing units spread across the nine sites in Sutton will provide a range of affordable housing options.
Landry stressed the importance of housing everyone close to where they work.
鈥淪ome seasonal workers have to travel long distances from towns such as Granby to their jobs in Sutton,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his project would meet their needs by creating affordable housing in town, which would reduce car use and encourage the use of more sustainable modes of transportation.鈥�
Benefits of densification
There can be resistance to urban densification, especially in rural and resort communities, where residents want to preserve open spaces and low population densities.
This pilot project aims to show that well-planned densification can actually help improve the quality of life while preserving the environment. The proposed development aims to contain urban sprawl, encourage active transportation and create public spaces where residents can gather and interact.
鈥淭his approach will benefit not only the environment but also social cohesion,鈥� said Landry. 鈥淏y designing living spaces that are closer to services and shops, we will reduce car use and create more dynamic, connected neighborhoods.鈥�
, the project鈥檚 principal investigator and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape at UdeM, echoes this sentiment. 鈥淭his project is an opportunity for us to think about how we can bring together different populations, such as families, the elderly and seasonal workers,鈥� he said.
Getting the local community on board
The project鈥檚 success depends on gaining local community support. A public consultation is therefore planned for February 2025, at which Sutton residents will have the chance to view the 3D models created by UdeM鈥檚 architecture students and learn more about the vision behind the project.
The consultation will help demystify densification and show how it can meet residents鈥� needs while preserving the living environment that makes the region so attractive.
鈥淲e want to show residents that densification isn鈥檛 necessarily a threat to their quality of life,鈥� said Landry. 鈥淥n the contrary, it can bring the town significant benefits, such as better services, gathering places and increased vitality. That鈥檚 the message we want to get across at the public consultations.鈥�
Another goal of the consultation is to hear residents鈥� opinions and concerns about the project and identify the initiatives they would like to see in Sutton.
A tool for other municipalities
The Sutton project is a pragmatic attempt to meet the housing needs of communities by integrating multiple forms of knowledge鈥搒cientific, technical, professional and civic 鈥� into housing design and implementation processes.
鈥淚t takes an action research approach that aims to have a concrete impact on public policy and planning practices,鈥� explained Koseki.
One of the project鈥檚 goals is to adapt this planning tool to other urban settings.
鈥淭he project must be flexible enough to meet the needs of different communities across Quebec, from small rural villages like Sutton to larger, more dispersed towns like Cowansville,鈥� said Landry.
The sites selected for the Sutton pilot project, such as abandoned railroad tracks and religious buildings, are also common in many other Quebec municipalities, making replication on a larger scale feasible.
鈥淚n future phases, we plan to test this tool in other municipalities with different demographic and social characteristics to see if it can be adapted and have a positive impact,鈥� said Landry.
The ultimate goal is to make the tool available to all Quebec municipalities in order to create a more sustainable and affordable supply of housing throughout the province.
To this end, Landry encourages Quebec municipalities interested in the initiative to contact L鈥橢nsemble or the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape at Universit茅 de Montr茅al.
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