This book is about lot #2334609, a piece of land known locally as the Maguire Meadow, one of the last undeveloped spaces in the Mile End neighborhood in the Plateau Mont Royal, in Montreal.
Lot #2334609 is a terrain vague — owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway, owned by the City of Montreal as of June 2009, used and cherished by the community, the only green space in the Mile End. People feel free in this space. They don’t ask for permission to picnic, grow things, create art, or gather around a campfire. It’s open and wild, unlike most city parks.
To outsiders, it may look like an abandoned field. But, as you will read here, the community has appropriated this space and wants a say in how it will be developed. Development is scheduled for 2009-2010, as part of the city’s $9-million revitalization of the neighborhood.
Emily Rose Michaud, through the Sprout Out Loud! gardener’s collective, created the Roerich Garden project in November 2007. Using this project as a starting point, this book provides a history of the meadow and documents the many ways the community uses and relates to this space. It then connects what’s happening in the Mile End to similar local, national, and international initiatives. It documents what the community wants for this space, as captured through a series of participatory consultations. And it asks questions about how we engage as citizens to imagine and create more open cities.
We’re starting with an online version of the book and, based on what you see here, will create a beautiful book that you can touch, hold, and share. We envision a book that evolves with each edition as people share more thoughts, stories, and images. If you would like to contribute, you can learn more on the Artefatica website.