 Will Metropolises Take Over the World? montrealgazette/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00/00/02/33/02/montreal.JPG?AWSAccessKeyId=0TTXDM86AJ1CB68A7P02&Expires= &Signature=RGm13eKQBvlVqIv6 J%2fDz%2fUf8tOY%3d

What exactly is a city?  In simple words, it is an area with a high concentration of people and activities. What is a metropolis?  It is a major city; the chief city of a region.  People in the surrounding region are drawn to it.  It is a powerful urban centre with a high concentration of activities, services and major head offices.  It is a densely populated urban area.  It has greater economic and decision-making power.

 New York City is a metropolis.  New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the symbol of financial power in NYC. What kind of activities occur at the NYSE and TSX?  Shares worth billions of dollars are bought and sold everyday by investors! Is Sherbrooke or Trois-Rivieres a metropolis?  They both have far less economic and decision-making power than a metropolis like Montreal, Toronto or NYC.

Characteristics of a metropolis: 1.Downtown core 2.Residential neighbourhoods 3.Public parks 4.Public squares 5.Industrial parks 6.Interchanges 7.Suburbs 8.Tall office buildings and apartment towers

Public squares MONTREAL (QUEBEC), CANADA PHILIPS SQUARE

Suburbs (Residential areas around a major city)

Metropolises have recognizable features: Metropolises have:  Historical and modern landmarks  Landmarks can either be natural or man-made.  I.e. The Empire State Building in NYC, Champlain Bridge in Montreal are man-made landmarks.  Mount-Royal, the island of Montreal and the St. Lawrence River are Physical features. Metropolises all around the world:   8 out of 10 metropolises with the highest population (most populous) are in developing nations.

Developing Nation:  A country with a low standard of living, severe poverty, low income and education levels, high birth rate, and poorly developed social, economic, and technological infrastructure.  I.e. Most countries in Africa, Asia (except Japan), Latin America, and Oceania (except Australia and New Zealand)

Developed or Industrialized Nation:  A country with a relatively high standard of living, high income and education levels, lower birth rate, and well- developed social, economic, and technological infrastructure.  I.e. European nations, Russia, U.S.A, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand

Why are the populations in developing countries constantly growing? 1. 1.The Birth rate is higher People are living longer because of better health care. 3. More people are moving to these cities hoping to get better jobs.

Northern Hemisphere vs. Southern Hemisphere:   Most countries in the Northern Hemisphere are developed - wealthy!   Most countries in the Southern Hemisphere are developing countries – really poor Unequal power among metropolises:   Economically powerful metropolises are found in the United States, Western Europe and Asia.

Developed and Developing Countries

Megalopolis:   It’s a stretch of several metropolises and big cities in the same area.  region made up of several large cities and their surrounding areas in close enough proximity to be considered a single urban complex.  A region made up of several large cities and their surrounding areas in close enough proximity to be considered a single urban complex.   They form the heart of economic and global power – run the world!

One of the three (3) most powerful megalopolises is located in the United States.

Major challenges for metropolises: 1. Housing:   Finding housing is a challenge for poor people.   Apartments are too often expensive, in disrepair or poorly situated.   Government-subsidized housing is available to low-income families because they are way more affordable.

Transformed Space in the 21 st Century CASE STUDY From Miron’s Plant Site 1950’s to 2010’s Saint-Michel ‘s Environmental Complex

Miron's plant:  The site was a large open space where the quarry was found.  Located along Jarry street, near Papineau street.  It operated as a cement and asphalt plant.  Dusty, dirty and diesel fumes filled the air, noisy because of plant installations and continuous flow of trucks created traffic.  Common to hear dynamite blasts used to rip rock bed in the quarry.

 In 2010, most of the quarry has been filled in because of continuous years of dumping and compacting garbage and waste.

Saint-Michel Environmental Complex:  Montreal will share with the world its best practice of sustainable development by showcasing the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex.  This complex was conceived by the City of Montreal.  It will ultimately be transformed into a family-friendly city park.

 This ecological centre is also a recycling sorting plant and a micro-power station sharing space with Cirque du Soleil Headquarters and La TOHU, the City of Circus Arts.  It will become the city’s largest green space in 2020.

La TOHU's main Pavilion:  Visitors can explore the Environmental Complex by joining a "safari“ tour  Visitors discover environmental innovations like: 1.The sorting centre, which handles all of Montreal's recyclables. 2.A micro-power station that converts the biogas produced by transforming landfill gas into electricity. 3.A composting and shredding facility.

Waste Management and Developing countries:   Garbage is piled up in open lots near residential areas.   Poor people spend hours salvaging usable goods and materials they can sell.

3. Transportation:   Traffic jams are becoming more problematic as the population in the Montreal Metropolitan Area increases.   More vehicles on our roads and ongoing road construction, due to aging infrastructure, cause traffic too.   Vehicles pollute, cause Greenhouse Gases and affect our health.

Commuting in the MMA: 1. Commuting by Car in the Montreal Metropolitan Area (MMA):  Hundreds of thousands of commuters use our roads, bridges and public transit on a daily basis  The majority of us prefer to commute by car.  Commuters must face hours of traffic to and from work on a daily basis.  Why is there so much traffic on our metropolitan roadways?

a) Montreal’s Roadways and bridges are old and needs lots of repair.  Our aging bridges, overpasses, highways, and roads need to be fixed.  Dangerous potholes and huge cracks damage cars and slow down traffic.  Lane closures due to road repairs and accidents cause traffic too.

b) Montreal Metropolitan Area does not have beltway* for large-sized trucks. Beltway:  It is a highway that encircles an urban area so that traffic does not have to pass through the center.  Heavy trucks damage concrete and asphalt, slow-down traffic, and cause serious accidents. c) Some of the major highways, expressways and service roads in the MMA need more lanes.

2. Public Transportation in the MMA:  Our current system includes buses, metros and commuter trains.  Although its cheaper and faster to take public transit, most people living in MMA still use cars. Why? a)Public transit is inadequate  Buses do not pass frequently enough in some neighbourhoods.  Metro lines or train lines do not extend to all corners of the island of Montreal.

b) The STM’s aging infrastructure cause frequent stalls  Our aging metro system is over 40 years old.  Repairs are needed to fix cracks on ceilings, to stop water infiltration, and to replace old escalators.  These constant renovations cause congestion and frustrate transit users.

 Wiring along the tracks (installed in the 1960’s) often overheat and catch on fire.  Automated metro doors often jam during rush hour. c) Aging fleet of metro wagons and buses constantly stall during rush hour.  Waves of new LFS buses have been purchased to replace our current aging fleet.  These new buses are more spacious, have better engines and run on bio-diesel.  The new Nova articulated LFS buses allow for more users to fit into one bus.

d) Current metro wagons and older bus models are not spacious enough.  Some seats were strategically removed and others were rearranged to add more room in each wagon. Solutions to traffic-related problems: 1. 1.Restricting car traffic by installing tolls and making parking expensive Promoting the use of “cleaner” ways of traveling by (using bikes, public transit and bringing back electric streetcars.

1. Finding housing in Montreal: The following are factors that could make your apartment hunting successful or less successful: The following are factors that could make your apartment hunting successful or less successful: 1.Your income 2.Number of children (More bedrooms means higher rent) 3.Proximity to metro (Closer to metro station is more expensive) 4.The neighbourhood (i.e. Le Plateau is more expensive)

5. The environment (more $ if you wish to live near a park, green space etc.) 6. Many families have chosen to live in the suburbs because rent is lower (low-cost housing)