Reinventing our rivers / Revons nos rivières

“One stitch does not mend a tear”
It takes more than one stitch to mend torn urban fabric. Urban fabric is like an intricate, pulsating patchwork of different textiles, spread out on several layers. In some cities like Quebec, rivers slice through the fabric like scissors, separating and isolating the elements of one side from the other. Typical riverfront regeneration focuses on one particular point, or one “stitch” on the river, failing to take into account the effect that the point will have on the surrounding fabric over time. In most cases this single stitch is gradually weakened and eventually torn apart by the strain of separate textiles. In other cases, the stitch is isolated from the neighboring context, having no impact on its surroundings. Thus an entirely new approach is needed to patch the river deeper and tighter into the urban fabric, therefore resisting the tensional forces of conflicting elements, in some cases, even reversing those forces to bring separate elements together to create new possibilities.

“Coexistence of river and city throughout history”
The four rivers thrived as major arteries throughout the early history of Quebec, providing routes for trade and nourishment for towns that sprouted along their peripheries. As the modes of trade shifted and pollution took its toll, the relevance of the four rivers faded and the rivers became more and more neglected. The rivers, which used to function as arteries, started to function as walls. The riverside space, usually the most valuable parcels of land, were subject to years of decay until they were rediscovered in the recent years.

“Culture flows where the rivers flow”
Immense potential was found in these neglected spaces that could be further amplified when connected with the potential found in areas surrounding the rivers. These surrounding areas are currently cut off from the rivers by poor urban planning and measures are needed to dilute the distinct borders. We thus propose a series of interwoven cultural “estuaries," that will join several points of interest into groups and connect those groups to the river nodes. The rivers will thus be able to penetrate deeper into the fabric of Quebec city and therefore the broken connections between river and city, east bank and west bank, zone and zone, element and element, will be mended as one sustainable entity, breathing and interacting as one. The rivers will regain their function as arteries, culture, instead of traffic coursing through their veins. Points that are in need of regeneration will be revived in relation to other points. Points that are isolated will be connected to other points, promoting synergy. It is this “joining of the dots” that makes our proposal more sustainable, resilient and potent than simply working on the dots themselves. This strategy will restore and enhance the roles of the rivers, rediscovering their purpose in such a beautiful and diverse city. Our vision of Quebec is one that is vibrant and embracing; it is unprecedented yet promising and powerful.