Udział społeczeństwa w rewaloryzacji Starego Portu w Montrealu

An interesting experience of recent years in Canada is the influence exerted by the society on the elaboration of the Master Plan for Le Vieux-Port in Montreal, for which the federal administration tried to find new forms of use after its port functions had been transferred onto a new place. In order to consult the society the Association of Le Vieux-Port has been brought to life; it has numbered nearly 1.000 individual members. Moreover, a number of various social organizations also participated in it. The Association had the Executive Committee and the Council which kept close and regular consultations with all members and inhibitants, expressed their opinions and affected a programme concept and form of the Master Plan. Various forms were employed to convey the information to the society, just to mention exhibitions, materials distributed amongst inhibitants and press, interviews in radio and tv, public conferences and meetings, and finally guided tours on the site of the port. Consultations also varied in their form: polls, encouragement to letters and opinions, open public conferences and design workshops, discussions with inhibitants and social groups. The Association passed the test; meetings were held every two weeks for nearly two years and decisions were made jointly. It was for the first time in Montreal that so different social groups cooperated for such a long time and achieved a common goal. The most important input of the society in this undertaking is the idea of gradual changes, evolutional but not revolutionary, as are often introduced by architects. The Association proposed strategies, and not the Master Plan. For the time being they supported a maintenance of functions combined with the port itself and suggested to commence a reneval in the most suitable unused parts. They specified in detail priorities, but just as a renewal process will go on for some time, the Association envisaged only elementary guildelines thinking that it should not be decided today what people of 1995 would like to have. The Association has proved that there is a possibility of a sound and creative cooperation of inhabitants in controlling the development and transformation of their own town.