Urban Design Portfolio

Urban Design
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«Living around the Tramway» is a work of reflection on Rimouski City’s transportation system and
their impact on citizens’ lifestyle. It was a work in two phases:
In the first phase, we decides to implement a tram-train on the existing train rail crossing the city in
order to create a link between villages, reduce car dependency, and increase density around the future
tram stations. We chose to increase density by creating polar points around tram stations by using
tactical urbanism. In provinding services through the mobile tram wagons, we could achieve this
goal. Moreover, using the train rail crossing the city was the very unique element that could a give
a visual and physical link to the citizen to the St-Lawrence river and improve their daily lives. This
phase was done in team of 4 people.
In the second phase, we split our team in two. Our team decided to plan an intervention in the city
center while the other planned something in the rural area of the city. Our project involves the restructstuction
and reorganization of the fabric around the shopping center «Carrefour Rimouski»
located in Rimouski-East. This project meant to be a “standard model” of best practice for future interventions
on the urban fabric of the city center. The restructution aim to create a polar points in the
city centered on the tram stations. Around those, it would be possible to live, work and live within 5
minutes of walk.

0 1 2,5
5km
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Procuring
various services to
citizens through daily
moving wagons
2
The temporary services schedule
Tactical urbanism
Urbanisme tactique
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Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
1
The actual traffic flow

40
In this proposition, we wanted to transform the shopping center,
currently acting as a barrier, as an element articulating the
different areas of use (industrial, residential, commercial and
river (see diagram p.30)) found in the chosen sample.a
The re-weaving the urban fabric was, among others, the result
of the extension and the creation of some streets, but also, it
was the result of the diversion of traffic delivery trucks from the
Industrial Boulevard to the rue du Havre, which was extended
to the port. These roads changes have made 2 things possible:
First, the movement of the main industrial delivery road in the
industrial zone, made it possible to implement new office buildings
and services for industrial use of both sides of Industrial
Boulevard to create a better transition interface between commercial
and industrial areas. This road has a new function and
is now pedestrian friendly.
Secondly, the diversion of the industrial traffic lanes reasulted in
the reduction of the traffic in the lanes at the north of the mall.
They are now disproportionately wide. This allowed a reduction
and a reorganization of the routes. This action resulted the
creation of a public place facing the river and linked to the mall.
The Mall:
A consolidation taking into account the normal lifetime of a
mall (50 years) was made at the north of it. In other words, if
at the end of its life the mall is going to be destroy, the consolidation
has been done to transform the land where the mall
is located in 3 new blocks. In case where it would be rebuilt or
renovated, the new shopping center passages will ensure permeability
between the areas of use of this long-term tissue. In
the short term, this permeability is ensured by the introduction
of a new main entrance on the front side of Industrial Boulevard
and with the implementation of a new tram station on this road.
In the long term, it will be ensured by the new consolidation.
In this new consolidation, the parking has been moved at the
back of the shopping. A park and a newly built neighbourhood
replaced the old parking. The roof of the new shopping center
acts like a physical link between the industrial and the new
neighbourhood.
0 1 2,5
5km
3
Adding and removing streets to redirect
traffic onto alternative routes
The deviated traffic flow results
in giving a new public access
point to the river

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4
5 6
The new roads
Adding doors and hallwaays to create
pedestrian connections to the surroundings
8
Reconstructing a mall connected to its surroundings

42
7
Implantation of the tram system and
construction of a new plaza providing an
access point to the river
Demolition
The Typologies
Commercial - Industry
Low density housing -Mixed use - Office
The new access point to the river
The North Public Place
The public place at the north of the shopping center
seats the tram station and mobile wagon services.
This new public square serves as an articulatory element
between different use zones and allows easy
access to the river. The consolidation made around
this public place has been done in order to create
visual and physical links to the river and to surrounding
streets. It also ensures legibility and permeability
of the urban fabric.

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1
2
Monday
The skate rental mobile wagon can be found on the northern public place
The mall

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Section 1 - The new link between the residential. the commercial and the industrial zone
Section 2 - The new link to the river created by the construction of the plaza
Tuesday
The Christmas Market mobile wagon can be found on the northern public Place
The mall