Montreal's New Metro Trains

  
Montreal's New Metro Trains

STM - Société de transport de Montréal - Montreal Transit Corporation 
unveils the model of its next generation of metro cars MPM-10, scheduled to start replacing those in use presently in year 2014. The new metro train configuration will be that of a “boa” type train with individual cars interconnected by fully enclosed walk-through passages constructed from caoutchouc. This will ensure full inner circulation through all the train’s cars. The total length of the train will consists of 9 cars.

The new metro train will have greater safety features. It will be a smoother and a more comfortable ride for passengers, due to the air-suspension system. The cars will feature universal accessibility: reserved space for wheelchairs, fold-up seats for easier circulation, and spaces for strollers, bicycles and other equipment. In addition the  seats will be ergonomically designed.

For more information view the following video:

The STM Strategic Plan 2020 in 20 minutes.mov

The same video is also presented on this STM website along with the written English verbatim translation.

ECOCITY: Edible Campus

Montreal: McGill University

The project on the McGill University campus is organized by Sentropol Roulant, the non-profit organization mentioned in the article - post below. Sentropol Roulant use the produce for their meals-on-wheals service. The vegetables grown on the campus grounds become part of the landscaping, a point of attraction. This edible growth changes the austere scenery of the surrounding concrete and the monotony of the uniformly cut grass.

Montreal: UQAM

The grounds where the food is grown at the university UQAM are more tranquil than the open spaces of the McGill University. The production scale is also much smaller. Yet it presents an oasis of vegetation that one seldom sees in a mega-city's downtown.

 

     

 

Also notice the discreet placement of composting bins.

 

ECOCITY: Urban Agriculture

ECOCITY
Urban Agriculture - Rooftop Farming

Growing food locally is becoming not only fashionable but to a certain degree indispensable, considering the sustainability issues. If you live in the city, the local growing might mean cultivating food on the rooftop of your building. The advantages are: it reduces the heat inside the building in the summer, it contributes to the greening of the city, it eliminates the long distances of food transportation, it reduces or even eliminates the transportation costs, and it greatly reduces any food production and storage waste. An excellent documentary Taste the Waste has just released at the Montreal World Film Festival on the amount of food wasted during production transportation, retailing and as leftovers. See my article about this documentary film in my blog News Real.

Here are some note-worthy examples of rooftop farming:

Montreal: Palais des congrès de Montréal

The edible garden on the roof of the Palais des congrès was conceived by the Montreal Urban Ecology Center. Unfortunately, the center has not yet written about this project on their website. 

This Culti-Vert project received funding from the Canadian Ministry of Health's Climate Change Action Plan that includes a section for reducing the negative health impacts of urban heat islands.

One of the participants in the project is Crudessence. They specialize in raw vegan cuisine. They grow on the rooftop of the Palais des congrés the fresh produce for their Montreal restaurants. Here is a video about Crudessence involvement in this project.

Jardins sur les toits du Palais des congrés

I am not really sure why the growing of the produce for the Crudessence restaurants should be subsidized, at least partially, by Canadian Ministry of Health, since Crudessence is not a non-profit organization, and the prices in their restaurants are not low, but I guess their part in greening of the Montreal rooftops somehow qualifies them for the taxpayers' help.

Montreal: Santropol Roulant

Santropol Roulant is a non-profit organization who use the rooftop of their headquaters to grow produce for their meals-on-wheals service. They grow fresh vegetables in plastic containers, and also have a field like section, see photo below.

At the back of their rooftop field there are bee hives. This not only produces "urban" honey, but also helps to polinate the plants.

New York: Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

This large warehouse rooftop farm in Brooklyn, NY does not only grow herbs and vegetables, but also chickens and rabbits. This is a successful example of urban agriculture on an impressive scale, in one of the most densely populated urban areas in North America.

New York City Rooftop Farm

ECOCITY World Summit 2011

ECOCITY World Summit 2011

The 9^th edition of the Ecocity world summit will take place August 22-26, 2011 in Montreal, Canada. Over 1,00 participants representing more than 70 countries will attend.

The conference will have 6 interconnecting themes: 

Climate Change and the ecocity

Ecomobility, Urban Planning, Public Space

Governance and Democracy in the Ecocity

Economics of the Ecocity

Health and the Built Environment

Biodiversity and Urban Agriculture

There will be also 6 conference tracks

Conference Tracks

1. Northern climate cities: Ecocity policy, planning and design

2. Re-building better in Haiti and other post-disaster zones

3. Ecocity Montréal

4. Community engagement/citizen and youth participation

5. Measuring ecocity progress: indicators, standards and best practices

6. Cleantech for Ecocities

A number of exibitors will showcase technologies and innovations related to urban ecology, as well as special innovative initiatives.

Here is the link to the Ecocity website.