Press release
Adoption of the PMAD by the Government of Québec:
finally a strategic and base-building plan for the city is set in motion
Montréal, March 12, 2012 – The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is thrilled with the official adoption of the metropolitan land use and development plan, the Plan métropolitain d’aménagement et de développement (PMAD), by the Government of Québec, which was announced today at a press conference held by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, Laurent Lessard, and the President of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), Gérald Tremblay.
“With this announcement, Minister Lessard is confirming that the metropolitan area will develop according to a coherent plan focused on a vision of urban densification oriented around large public transit infrastructures,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “Transit-oriented development offers tremendous opportunities for the metropolitan area. Now that the rules of the game are known, developers finally have a predictable framework for developing projects and can therefore benefit from the growth in our economy.”
“One of the main recommendations of the report A city that lives up to our aspirations, published by the Board of Trade in March 2010, was the adoption of a development plan,” Mr. Leblanc said. “Our brief submitted during public consultations on the PMAD also indicated that it was essential that the Government of Québec act without delay. This is why we are delighted with today’s timely announcement.”
“We must reiterate the importance of ensuring that the PMAD’s spirit and rules apply to the marginal areas to avoid creating incentives that run contrary to the objectives of densification,” Mr. Leblanc said. “Without this integrated vision, there is a risk of penalizing CMM municipalities by increasing urban sprawl beyond the borders of the CMM.”
The brief presented by the Board of Trade as part of public consultations on the PMAD is available online at: www.ccmm.qc.ca/memoire-pmad2011.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.
-30-
Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Phone: 514 871-4000, extension 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
To continue the discussion: #ccmmqcca