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Inclusive growth, public transit infrastructure investments and neighbourhood trajectories of inequality in Montreal

Author

Listed:
  • Sébastien Breau

    (Department of Geography, 5620McGill University, Canada)

  • Megan Wylie

    (Department of Geography, McGill University, Canada; Office of Energy Transition, 6314Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

  • Kevin Manaugh

    (Department of Geography and Bieler School of Environment, 5620McGill University, Canada)

  • Samantha Carr

    (Department of Geography, 5620McGill University, Canada)

Abstract

Investing in accessible, affordable and sustainable modes of transportation is increasingly seen as an important policy tool for fostering the development of more inclusive cities and combating the rise in inequality. In this article, we review how the concept of inclusive growth has gained traction at the local level framed within a discourse of building more equitable and sustainable cities with a particular emphasis on transportation infrastructure projects as a way of operationalizing the concept as a policy tool. Using Montreal as a case study, we then proceed to evaluate two competing proposals for major public transit infrastructure projects (the Pink line and the REM Phase II) to see if one may potentially offer more inclusive outcomes in terms of transit access and mobility. We do so by first examining changes in the spatial configurations of neighbourhood income disparities in the city between 1981 and 2016. After identifying a pattern of growing spatial polarization between higher- and lower-income neighbourhoods, we use a buffer analysis of transit stations to assess which of the two proposed transit infrastructure projects is best positioned to curb the growth of neighbourhood disparities. Our results suggest the proposed Pink line project provides more coverage in terms of accessibility and connecting economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods from Montreal Nord to Lachine with the downtown core.

Suggested Citation

  • Sébastien Breau & Megan Wylie & Kevin Manaugh & Samantha Carr, 2023. "Inclusive growth, public transit infrastructure investments and neighbourhood trajectories of inequality in Montreal," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(8), pages 2009-2030, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:55:y:2023:i:8:p:2009-2030
    DOI: 10.1177/0308518X231162091
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