Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture

Thinking city. Thinking ahead.

Every day, the professionals at Plania, Dessau’s urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, take on a host of challenges to improve city life. They design spaces that seamlessly integrate facilities into their surroundings, optimize the development of strategic sectors, tap into the synergies between different modes of transportation, and help municipalities develop and employ land-use planning tools.

Plania’s professionals bring their private- and public-sector clients’ vision to life during the project production phase, whether they are working with municipal decision makers or developers. They consult stakeholders and look for inspiration in local heritage and tradition. Their ideas give shape to the project, placing primary importance on creating harmonious environments while encouraging local economic growth and sustainability.

Areas of expertise

Urban planning
Urban planning
Municipal regulations and management
Strategic planning
Urban design
Tourism and recreation studies
Transportation planning studies

Landscape architecture
Master plans for parks and greenspaces
Master plans for sport and recreation facilities
Natural and urban landscape studies
Design and creation of public spaces and sports and recreation facilities
Supervision and management of construction work
Shoreline enhancement
Simulation and visual analysis

Projects

Technopôle Angus Business Park Montreal

Beauport Bay Planning and Development Quebec

Des Allumettières Boulevard Gatineau

Client

Angus Development Corporation, Montreal, Canada

Scope of Work

Update and optimize the development master plan, with special consideration to the park's profitability.

This project involved transforming a former industrial site (2.4 million sq. ft.) in the heart of Montreal into a green zone hosting companies from various industries (manufacturing, environment, IT, food and agriculture, training and research centres, and laboratories).

The professionals at Plania, Dessau's urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, balanced creativity and practicality to produce the land use and development criteria and a final design that respected the site's industrial history.
Meanwhile, Dessau was involved in all facets of structural, mechanical and electrical engineering work during the production phase.

Challenges

Increase density (professional and industrial) to reach the park's profitability targets.
Create a plan for harmoniously integrating various projects on the site.
Maximize the use of passive solar heating in winter, natural ventilation, and nocturnal cooling in summer.

More photos

Client

Quebec Port Authority, Quebec, Canada

Scope of Work

Rehabilitation and recreational development of Beauport Bay as part of Quebec City’s 400th anniversary.

Beauport Bay played a unique role in Quebec City’s 400th anniversary celebrations. A short walk from downtown, it is a favourite waterfront destination for residents, boasting an urban beach and an excellent view of Île d’Orléans. The concept developed by Plania, Dessau’s urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, incorporated a range of techniques designed to enhance the diversity of the site’s assets and allow families, swimmers and sailing enthusiasts to share the site in harmony.

Services provided included conceptual development, design of individual components (on-site structures, beach, water sports facilities, street furniture, lighting), communication during public consultation sessions, preparation of plans and specifications, and work supervision. Dessau (mechanical-electrical), LVM (geotechnics, characterization, contaminated soil management and materials quality control) and Verreault (construction management) also participated in the project.

Challenges

Achieve optimal management and integration of soils contaminated by prior industrial use.
Ensure that the recreational area is accessible to individuals participating in various nautical or beach activities.
Stabilize shorelines susceptible to erosion.

Prizes and Awards

"2010 Award of Excellence", national honour bestowed by the Canadian Association of Landscape Architects.
"2008 Quebec City Award for Architectural Merit", special jury prize presented to Verreault, a Dessau subsidiary specializing in construction, for excellence in architectural creation.

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Client

City of Gatineau and National Capital Commission, Gatineau, Canada

Scope of Work

Design and supervision of redevelopment work.

The landscape architects at Plania, a Dessau subsidiary, designed and supervised the redevelopment work on this boulevard in Gatineau, Quebec. The objective was to balance various types

of traffic, add public art, create visual continuity and support development with a unique and cohesive design.

Challenges

Enhance the boulevard with a pleasant aesthetic design.
Create a setting amenable to future residential and commercial developments.

Healthcare District Montreal

Chaboillez Square Montreal

Downtown Sainte-Thérèse Sainte-Thérèse

More photos

Client

City of Montreal and Ville-Marie Borough, Montreal, Canada

Scope of Work

Requalify and develop the healthcare site.

This urban healthcare cluster is set to include, among other facilities, the Université de Montréal Hospital Centre (CHUM), a research facility, Université de Montréal’s faculty of public health, and a healthcare industries building. A team from Plania, Dessau’s urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, has produced innovative solutions to deal with the site's various challenges.

Integrating sustainable development principles, their design includes a green plan for the site and promotes the use of public transportation. Dessau’s mandate also included exploring the feasibility of completely covering the Ville-Marie Expressway between Saint-Urbain and Sanguinet streets – about 1,640 feet – to provide more space for the heathcare complex and to resolve traffic issues in the area.

Challenges

Develop a highly underdeveloped area.
Execute works without disrupting nearby residential and historic districts.
Develop a brand image for an institutional district.
Propose a cohesive design theme for the built environment, public spaces, street furniture and the choice of materials.

Client

City of Montreal, Montreal, Canada

Scope of Work

Optimization study of the Chaboillez Square site for a 2.4 million sq. ft. real estate development.

This 194,000 sq. ft. site was chosen for the construction of 2.4 million sq. ft. of office space, distributed mainly in three towers (25+ floors each) built on a 10-floor podicum. The personnel at Plania, Dessau's urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, created several different development scenarios.

This allowed the team to select the option that best balanced development costs, profitability and urban integration issues, while minimizing impacts on local traffic.

Challenges

Reconcile urban, economic and functional requirements.

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Client

Town of Sainte-Thérèse, Sainte-Thérèse, Canada

Scope of Work

Downtown development and revitalization study.

As part of the planning program, the experts at Plania, a Dessau subsidiary, helped redefine the positioning of the town’s business area by identifying strategic

revitalization opportunities and evaluating scenarios designed to encourage real estate development.

Challenges

Define a distinctive strategic vision for the downtown core in order to differentiate it from other commercial districts in the region.
Prepare an action plan for the development and commercial revitalization of the downtown core.
Preserve and enhance heritage elements.

Place Charles-LeMoyne Longueuil

Des Seigneurs Public Square Terrebonne

Ile-Bizard Ecoforest Corridor Montreal

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Client

City of Longueuil, Longueuil, Canada

Scope of Work

Develop a proposal for a downtown area with multiple uses.

Place Charles-LeMoyne is a strategically located transportation hub in Longueuil with the potential to become a lively, multi-purpose downtown area. A metro station, intermodal commuter rail terminal and significant regional road network not only provide opportunities for services related to passenger

transportation, but also for commercial, public, institutional and residential land use.
Dessau collaborated with Plania, its urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, to develop a plan for the downtown area that included provisions for multiple uses.

Challenges

Apply new approaches and trends in engineering, land use planning, project execution and sustainable development.
Create a unique and cohesive design for Place Charles-LeMoyne.

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Client

City of Terrebonne, Terrebonne, Canada

Scope of Work

Design study for the creation of a public square in downtown Terrebonne.

Plania, Dessau's urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, developed the concept behind Place Publique Des Seigneurs, integrating directives from the city's most recent commercial artery plan.

The proposal accounted for traffic issues and proposed solutions based on the latest trends in land use planning, in particular shared public spaces for community enjoyment.

Challenges

Design spaces featuring vegetation and mineral elements.
Create a cohesive design expressed through street furniture, choice of materials and architecture.
Reduce the effects of heat islands by adding vegetation.

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Client

City of Montreal, Montreal, Canada

Scope of Work

Creation of a development plan.

The team at Plania, Dessau's urban planning subsidiary, prepared a development plan for the Ile-Bizard Ecoforest Corridor, which is recognized as an ecoterritory by the City of Montreal’s Natural Areas Protection and Enhancement Policy.

The development plan is a tool to help the City plan its investments strategically. It provides guidance for decision makers who wish to respect sustainable development principles.

Challenges

Develop plans that balance optimal land use principles and the wishes of local residents.
Identify and present issues that affect natural habitats and their protection.
Propose a forward-looking vision for the area, defining it as a natural heritage site.

Circus Arts District Plaza Montreal

More photos

Client

City of Montreal, Montreal, Canada

Scope of Work

Planning and supervision of construction works.

The team from Plania, Dessau's urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary, created a highly imaginative development plan for this public square and supervised the subsequent work. The overall concept matched the unique artistic character of

the circus-arts complex, which includes the National Circus School, Cirque du Soleil’s international headquarters and artists’ residences, as well as the TOHU performance venue.

Challenges

Apply sustainable development principles through the construction of a runoff water retention basin, introduction of low-maintenance native vegetation and recycling of in situ dry materials.
Organize and lead several working meetings with numerous stakeholders.

Prizes and Awards

2007 IDM Award, presented by the Institute of Design Montréal, with designer Michel Morelli, category Industrial Design – Specialized Products, for lighting and decorative components.
2004 Palme d'or, International Award for Liveable Communities, Sustainable Development category, presented to the CESM and a Special Award for the project as a whole.
2004 Special Award, presented by the Communities in Bloom Program for the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex (CESM).

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Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture

Thinking city. Thinking ahead.

Areas of expertise

Urban planning

Landscape architecture

Projects

Client

Scope of Work

Challenges

Client

Scope of Work

Challenges

Prizes and Awards

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Prizes and Awards