We can do this in the most impacted and active urban places or in the most vulnerable environmental places – Littoral Est, the St. Lawrence River Shoreline in Québec City – Phase 4 provides such a suitable place, while creating space for people, wildlife, and plant communities to thrive. “Return to the Riverbank” restores and expands the concept of the riverbank to include healthy bio-filtered stormwater tributaries connected to the river, transportation and information flows, flows of people, capital, and green revenue sources.

We aligned the renewal of the Littoral Est riverfront with municipal needs to develop a green economy, provide jobs, provide a healthy environment for the community and improve the ecological health of the St. Lawrence River. “Return to the Riverbank” is a vision for the next generation of land management on the east bank of the St. Lawrence River. The future Littoral Est will provide a model for urban development and rewilding in Quebec based on the interdependence of contemporary climate activists (including people, animals and plants).

By connecting the lakefront to the city with interconnected green infrastructure, expanding parkland and softening the shoreline, the plan envisions a place where the city and nature are inseparable. Blending creative interdisciplinary thinking, ecological research and design, the team proposed several initiatives that emerged from in-depth research and a strong citizen engagement process. These recommendations became the cornerstone of the final report: · Improve the seawall design. Shift from purely engineering projects to projects that consider and promote ecological and social life.

This idea includes the proposal to build iconic open spaces on the seawall. · Integrate nature into the development strategy. Whether it’s helping residential communities reduce the cost of flood threats or making coastal ecology visible in downtown open spaces, the goal is to bring ecology in at every level. · Establish conservation liaison and environmental education strategies. Connect excavation organizations with those working in ecology and restoration to evaluate regional coastal barrier proposals, especially along the waterfront and the Dufferin-Montmorency Highway to develop a regional boulevard plan. · Improve parks and open spaces with flood-resistant play strategies.

Minimize reliance on infrastructure to address flooding and sea level rise. Instead, use green infrastructure and strategic infill, and development agendas should focus on protecting open spaces and integrating species that absorb more water than traditional lawns.