Hippodrome-Namur-De La Savane

Last updated July 18, 2022
Reading time: 2 min

This area in the centre of Montréal island, primarily used for industrial and commercial purposes, offers an enormous potential for transformation. Actions are underway to create an ecological and carbon-neutral residential neighbourhood, which will also address traffic congestion problems.

A geographically central location

At the junction of Autoroute 40 and Autoroute Décarie, the area is sited in a geographically central location on the island of Montréal. Parts of it are located in the boroughs of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Saint-Laurent, and in the cities of Mont-Royal and Côte Saint-Luc.

Identified as a priority in the Urban Plan, the area comprises several components

  • The area around Autoroute Décarie, including the Namur and De la Savane metro stations as well as retail and office activities
  • Le Triangle development project, with 4000 dwellings planned
  • The site of the former horse race track
  • The Mont-Royal industrial park, the Cité Scientifique and a portion of Saint-Laurent’s industrial park

Great potential for transformation

Current and planned initiatives are evidence of the area’s redevelopment potential:

  • Transformation of the area, which began with Le Triangle, of which more than 2,000 dwelling units have been built
  • The Mont-Royal industrial area is being repositioned for fashion and design
  • The Projet Cavendish will see the extension of Boulevard Cavendish, which will improve transportation from the west in order to make the area more accessible
  • Planned transformation of underused parcels near Autoroute Décarie, and around the Namur and De la Savane metro stations
  • The potential offered by the former race track will allow for development in keeping with the other land uses in the area

Key planning issues

  • The uses for the different parts of the Hippodrome-Namur-De La Savane area
  • Difficult mobility conditions
  • Significant roadway congestion
  • Quality of the public domain for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly with regard to access to metro stations
  • Real estate development along Autoroute Décarie
  • Obsolescent, saturated or nonexistent underground infrastructure
  • Presence of major urban heat islands
  • Need to increase vegetation

Planning

A planning effort is underway to determine how the land use planning orientations and municipal actions will be implemented to allow for project realization. This transformation is designed to provide a diversified, inclusive, greener and transit-oriented neighbourhood.

The OCPM held public consultations in 2019 and 2020, specifically on a portion of the district identified as the future Écoquartier Namur-Hippodrome. A report was published in October 2020. Learn more at the OCPM website(in French).