Social actors and their role in metropolitan governance in Montréal: towards an inclusive coalition?

Abstract

The article is about the role of civil society organizations in the governance of the Montréal metropolitan region. It identifies a high level of cooperation around metropolitan scale issues on the part of these organizations. In the Montréal region, government agencies as well as private corporations demonstrate readiness to work alongside civil society organizations on joint projects. Evidence of this type of collaboration is particularly strong in the case of economic development, neighbourhood revitalization and cultural initiatives. This form of cooperation is perceived as a manifestation of the so-called ''Québec model'' and is an asset for the Montréal metropolitan region. The article demonstrates that interventions that involve social organizations are more likely to be successful than those that turn their back on these organizations.

Metagovernance of urban governance networks in Canada: In pursuit of legitimacy and accountability

“…The early CDECs received substantial grants from provincial and federal governments, but their activity was strongly driven by local civil society actors (Fontan et al 2006). Though each of the early CDECs engaged in different work depending on neighbourhood priorities, most of them funded revitalization efforts, employment and training programs for the excluded, and venture capital for small to medium enterprises (Klein and Tremblay 2010). Building on the success of the early CDECs, in 1990 the Montreal municipal government extended CDECs to all neighbourhoods except the downtown core, and forged an agreement between all three levels of government to recognize and finance the CDECs (Fontan et al 2006).…”

The local governance of culture-led regeneration projects: a comparison between Montreal and Toronto

“…As was emphasised by Mason (2003) and Klein and Tremblay (2009), in regard to the revitalisation of the 'Quartier International', the City of Montreal is implementing a distinctive planning and governance model in Canada, still driven by economic competitiveness but also characterised by a commitment towards social cohesion. This statement is also true for the case study of the 'Quartier des Spectacles' to a certain extent.…”

Le développement économique communautaire et la cohésion sociale à Montréal : un rôle de médiation et d’intermédiation

“…La restructuration des économies urbaines dépendrait des coalitions que les acteurs privés et publics parviennent à constituer, ainsi que de la stabilité de ces coalitions (Kantor et al, 1997). Or, s'il a souvent été constaté que les coalitions de croissance prennent une forme élitiste, qui exclut les acteurs sociaux (Deitrick, 1999), des applications plus récentes de ce concept ont servi à proposer des coalitions plus larges et cohésives (Stone, 2004;Moulaert et al, 2007), ce qui, dans le cas de Montréal, est d'ailleurs réclamé par les acteurs sociaux (Klein et Tremblay, 2010). Ces coalitions inclusives viseraient moins à rendre la ville plus compétitive qu'à améliorer les conditions de vie des citoyens dans les quartiers et dans la ville en général.…”