Greening the Quartier des Spectacles

Main text of post

The effects of climate change are increasingly noticeable in big-city downtowns, and Montreal is no exception. To help mitigate the impacts, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership teamed up with urban ecology experts to develop a greening strategy. The plan is built around three main initiatives: adding greenery to amenities, cultural programming, and research conducted in collaboration with the university community.

We spoke with UQAM life sciences professor Alain Paquette, of the university’s Research Chair on the Urban Forest, and with master’s student Johanna Arnet. They discussed their work on the trees in the Quartier des Spectacles, focusing on positive impacts on the urban environment.

By Sébastien Tétrault

Last summer, the Quartier des Spectacles had nearly 450 square metres (4800 sq. ft.) of amenities with greenery. Why is it important to study the effects of greening as part of the fight against climate change?

Alain Paquette : Climate change has been studied extensively in recent years, but urban heat islands and their health impacts haven’t received much attention. We know heat islands have negative impacts on both the physical and mental health of city dwellers and workers. So it’s an important issue, and we’re glad to have formed a partnership with the Quartier des Spectacles to conduct a proper field study that will, I hope, yield plenty of new insights.

What makes your study distinctive? Why is it important?

AP : We’ve been studying heat islands for more than ten years, but until now we’ve focused mainly on surface temperatures. What sets our study apart is its great precision. We’re looking at ambient temperatures and their effects on people.

Johanna Arnet : It’s the first study using our mobile temperature sensors – it’s rather distinctive. We use a bicycle to get around and measure temperatures in places where people live, work and move – in other words, we’re studying people who are directly affected by heat. We take our readings at different times of day and night, because heat doesn’t just go away magically at sunset…

Does warming have a tangible impact on urbanites?

JA : Heat has a strong influence on people’s mental health, and that’s an aspect of particular interest to us. We’re realizing that it’s an increasingly significant phenomenon. Fortunately, planting trees helps reduce heat, and when we can’t plant them, trees in planters make an excellent backup plan. We’ve learned that the trees in planters are effective contributors to heat mitigation.

Do you think your studies will lead to new ways to combat warming?

AP : As I see it, the solutions are already fairly well known. However, a detailed understanding of a specific place helps us take the right steps. Everyone agrees that it’s important to plant trees. But exactly where do you plant them? Does planting trees in a vacant lot have the same impact as planting them on the sidewalk? Which species should be planted? Those are the questions we need to answer.

You mentioned trees in planters. What is their role in greening?

AP : We noticed that the Quartier’s trees in planters had relaxing psychological effects and attracted people – we tend to gather around trees. So the trees in planters help rehumanize the downtown core. What’s great about these trees is that they make it possible to green large public spaces that tend to empty out when the summer sun is shining. So there’s a lot of demand for them, and they’re very practical because they can be relocated strategically and placed where they’re needed most. In addition to contributing to the greening of urban environments like the Quartier des Spectacles, they’re also excellent at muffling noise.

Don’t trees in planters have a shorter lifespan than those planted in the ground?

AP : Actually, their survival rate is excellent. They’re loaned to us by Soverdi, a non-profit organization that develops greening strategies for Montreal. Once one of the trees has grown so large that it can no longer be moved around, it’s simply planted in the ground, where it keeps on growing like any other tree.