"I'm riding my bike in Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie in Montreal and it's late spring. I feel safe thanks to the network of bike paths. I have access to a bixi station right next to my house, which is very convenient. The mature street trees provide welcome shade when the sun is down. They are home to squirrels and birds, which I enjoy watching. The patches of flowering trees and street gardens created by the residents are beautiful and soothing to me. The textures, colors and decorations inspire me. I get off my bike to get a better look at the gardens which often have their own personality. People garden in front of their homes and I smile at them and ask them questions. I also like to look at the houses, the duplexes, the triplexes, the exterior spiral staircases: I am in Montreal and nowhere else.
The buildings are low and the streets and sidewalks are wide, so I feel comfortable. I sometimes cut through the alleys, especially those that have been greened. It's nice to be in these more intimate and invested spaces, where children play and parents chat. I sometimes stop for a moment in a café on Bélanger, Beaubien or Saint-Zotique; I like this panoply of small businesses, cafés and boutiques on my way. It's easy to abandon my bixi at one of the many stations so I continue my walk. Although I prefer to walk in the quieter streets and alleys, it's also nice to be on the busier streets where I look at the windows and want to buy everything, taste everything. I arrive at the Beaubien cinema and decide to go see a movie.
I like to have access to Quebec films, auteur and independent: culture at my fingertips! The movie I want to see doesn't start for another hour, so I go sit in Molson Park. I choose a quiet corner and read a book. A friend joins me and we chat. Sitting on a park bench, happy and as if in a bubble of calm and coolness, we miss our movie. Too bad! I'm a little tired so I go home and decide to take the bus. I don't wait very long: the bus on Beaubien passes every ten minutes. After a few stops, I'm home, happy with my afternoon walking around my favorite neighborhood in Montreal." (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.176).
Maple Street in the summer: a street that has been greened up and taken over by residents, where it is pleasant to walk
Source : Google Maps
Link to Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/UMPvj1hUwYQSMJqf6
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Publication:7 September 2025