Design
The Biodiversity Corridor is landscape infrastructure superimposed on the existing urban order, creating diagonal links between a highly fragmented set of environments and sites. Unlike a transportation corridor, this is multifunctional infrastructure that encompasses urban design, landscape design, biology and mobility. Underpinning the creation of the Corridor is a holistic vision that marries the logic of life with the logic of urbanization by integrating new designs into the borough’s pre-existing urban and social fabric. The vision also includes plans for the addition of an even larger territory, going beyond administrative boundaries and the distinction between public and private spaces.

One of the key aspects of our proposal involves the transformation of three long segments of Hydro-Québec rights-of-way into a vast flowery meadow. Like a large green canvas, the meadow’s impressive scale will allow it to connect existing and newly created fauna habitats. Our project could also be described as a threedimensional landscape composition: in addition to the richness of the new habitats, microtopographies will create inner spaces that break the horizon through the introduction of vertical vistas, and generate places and paths for discovery. There are also a multipurpose trail and clearings in the vegetation to facilitate active transportation and local social activities.

Can we say that “beauty” resides primarily in the natural fact – in the inherent goodness of nature? For urbanites such as ourselves, a flowery meadow sparks a feeling of wonderment, and sometimes a state of grace. Whether the meadow is indigenous or the result of an agricultural parcel being abandoned, or takes root in a former railroad right-of-way in a decidedly urban setting, we can only marvel at its captivating qualities. The textures, colours and smells of plants, swaying in the breeze or transformed by shadow and light, give us a soothing aesthetic experience. As a matter of fact, isn’t the beauty here that of life itself, its free spread, its intrinsic design? And yet, even though this new landscape is designed as a living painting, it has been created ex nihilo thanks to the mastery of two natural sciences, biology and ecology. These disciplines allow us to support life, even at the scale of habitats essential to the survival of small amphibians and bats.

National Urban Design Award
The Biodiversity Corridor Master Plan received a Special Jury Award for the category “Sustainable Development” in the 2020 edition of the National Urban Design Awards. Organized jointly by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA), the award is one of the top distinctions in Canada. As commented by the jury, "The promise of urban design is sustainable development—creating economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits. While this project focuses on the environment, it reflects all Seven C’s’ of urban design: context, character, choice, connections, creativity, custodianship, and collaboration."