On March 15, the City of Laval released its first Guide to Planning and Urban Design.
Written by experts at the city’s urban planning department, the guide is a comprehensive reference explaining the sometimes complex regulations and documents that need to be consulted by developers, engineers, contractors, architects and other professionals before undertaking a construction, renovation or property improvement project in Laval.
“The Guide to Planning and Urban Design will be an additional tool for professionals who participate in transformations and interventions on the territory in order to strengthen their understanding and their adoption of the precepts in Laval’s new urban planning code,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer, noting that Laval city council will soon be approving the new code.
“Creating a tangible link with our strategic vision, Laval 2035: urban naturally, this work will help to create a coherent link between several documents with regulations and for planning,” he added. “In short, it is another part of a sustainable approach for the management of our city.”
Laval exceeds green space preservation target with 18 per cent rate
Officials with the City of Laval announced earlier this month that they recently surpassed a target for the preservation of green space and that more than 18 per cent of Laval’s territory is now safeguarded by special status and regulations.
“We are extremely proud to have surpassed our objective,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “We have almost multiplied by five the area of our natural protected spaces since 2009, which has never been seen before in Laval.
“The record of acquisitions made over the past year is just as historic,” he added, noting that 68 hectares of land were acquired for a total investment of $26 million.
“Our ecological transition is well underway, and we hope to keep up this momentum as actors for change as regards protection of the environment,” he said. “This is a strong commitment for future generations.”
According to the city, Laval was protecting 3.61 per cent of its territory in 2009 when it adopted a new policy to increase the rate. It then set a goal of 14 per cent by 2035, which was exceeded in 2022, 12 years before the announced deadline date.
Research chair for sustainable environment and agro solutions created
The City of Laval and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) have come together to sponsor the creation of a new research chair to partner investigation into sustainable solutions in the domain of agriculture and food production for the benefit of health and the environment.
Seen as part of the development of the future Carré Laval innovation sector, the research chair will help create a unique and innovative ecosystem in conjunction with public and private partners, while engendering at the same time future business opportunities in Laval.
The city plans to spend $100,000 a year over the next three years on the project, which will revolve around three axes: production, nutrition and the environment, with one particular stated goal being net zero for generated waste.
“By uniting our energies, we hope to support the sustainable development of the food production and transformation supply chain, while at the same time encouraging collaborative research and stimulating economic development of the province, of Laval, and more particularly the Carré Laval,” said Mayor Boyer, adding that the city hopes to bring public, private, regional and international partners on-board.
The city and the INRS have appointed Philippe Constant, a professor at the INRS, as the first holder of the research chair.
City council meetings to begin at 6:30 pm, online questions now accepted
The city announced on March 8 that beginning in April, city council meetings will be starting at 6:30 pm, rather than at 7 pm as it has been for the past few years.
At the same time, council officials will also begin accepting questions submitted through an online form on the city’s website, as long as they are received on time. “All members of the city council are very proud of these changes,” said Mayor Boyer.
“They are a sign of our common wish to be listening to Laval’s citizens and the partners from organizations and from the business community. We believe that participation and transparency will make for a city that is more inclusive, accessible and caring for everyone.”
