The Minister Responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, Jonatan Julien, is officially inviting landscape architects, urban designers, urban planners, and other environmental design professionals to propose ambitious and unifying ideas for the redevelopment of the east shoreline of the St. Lawrence River in Québec City, between the Baie de Beauport and Parc de la Chute-Montmorency.

The Minister made the announcement alongside Jean-François Simard, MNA for Montmorency; Bruno Marchand, Mayor of Québec City; and Marie Claire Ouellet, President and CEO of the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec. This project is Phase 4 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain. The first three phases are already widely successful with residents and visitors alike.

Through the competition, the goal is to inspire and bring together the best ideas to create the most impactful concept possible. Minister Julien hopes that this creative exercise will foster innovative thoughts for the redevelopment of the area.

"We hope that this creative thought process will allow us to propose a bold and ambitious project for the redevelopment of this high-potential area, with a view to promoting sustainable development, access to the river banks, and citizens’ quality of life. The aim of this process is to inspire and bring the best ideas together in one place for the most promising concept,” emphasizes Jonatan Julien.

“I’m delighted that the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain project is moving ahead. We saw how enthusiastically residents took to the new Phase 3 facilities, inaugurated last July,” says Geneviève Guilbault, Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. “The fact that the Government of Québec is investing more than $193 million in this project confirms the importance of showcasing our beloved St. Lawrence River and making it more accessible to the public."

"Today, we’re encouraging the emergence of new ideas to create a place that will add to the city’s distinct personality. We’re taking an important step towards giving the river back to the people. There are plenty of examples—such as Phase 3, which was a resounding success—that prove that citizens want to be able to enjoy their neighbourhood to the fullest. This fourth phase is excellent news for all of us, especially for the eastern part of the city. Developing this vital area is essential for our city,” says Bruno Marchand, Mayor of Québec City.

Competition terms and conditions   

Minister Julien entrusted the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec to oversee the competition. The Commission is supported by two architects known for their achievements and experience in international competitions: Jérôme Lapierre, as main professional advisor, and Jacques White, as mentor. They have been mandated to define the rules of the competition, prepare relevant documentation, decide on a project selection jury, and ensure that the process runs without a hitch.

Competitors will be asked to come up with concepts for the long-term enhancement of the east shoreline, considering the key issues specific to the area, such as mobility, densification, economic vitality, sociodemographic makeup, the environment, and the preservation of natural spaces.

An international, multidisciplinary jury will be responsible for evaluating the proposed concepts and selecting the three most promising projects for the development of the area. Those projects will then be presented to the community at a public event to be held in the spring of 2024.

Teams of professionals interested in participating can do so between November 16, 2023, and February 29, 2024. A dedicated online platform has been set up for all participants to submit their applications.

The Phase 4 project is seeking the most impactful concept possible. Therefore, the final iteration might combine elements from a range of competition proposals.

Citizen involvement

As of now, and all throughout the ideas competition, citizens may share their thoughts, submit ideas, and ask project-related questions through the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec website. The jury members will take note of the ideas and comments expressed by citizens and consider them in their assessment of the submitted proposals.

Eligibility

Any multidisciplinary team that includes at least one representative from each of the three following disciplines (or a similar discipline) is eligible to participate as a competitor:

- Urban planning and design

- Landscape architecture or architecture

- Environment or sustainable development

A team may choose to add other professionals or specialists to enhance its proposal with regard to the issues, objectives, and challenges of the competition.

Schedule

- Contest announcement: November 10, 2023

- Opening of the competition and registrations: November 16, 2023

- Registration deadline: January 11, 2024

- Submission of proposals: February 29, 2024

- Analysis of applications and jury deliberations: March 2024

- Announcement of the winners of the competition: April 2024

Prizes awarded

A total of CA$200,000 will be divided among three winners, at the jury’s discretion, as prizes. Each winner will receive a minimum of CA$40,000, with the final allocation decided by the jury based on the relative merits of the winning proposals.

Jury Members

Bertrand Vignal, President of the jury, urban planner and landscaper, BASE, Paris-Lyon-Bordeaux

Daniel Guay, Representative of the Table citoyenne Littoral Est

Jérôme Dupras, Professor of ecological economics, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Josée Labelle, Landscape architect and associate, NIP Paysage, Montreal

Pedro Bobone Ressano Garcia, Architect and professor, Ressano Garcia Arquitectos, Lisbon

Sonia Tremblay, Urban planner and landscape architect, urban planning advisor to the City of Quebec

Sophie Boucher, Urban planner and manager of major projects, Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility

For more information, visit the competition's website. 

Top image courtesy of CCNQ.

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