• Montréal

Facts and Figures

 

about
Montréal, Canada


Inhabitants

Around 1.900,000 people
(2nd largest city in Canada)

Area

483 km2

66% of Québec’s designers live in Montréal

Design is worth $750 million in economic benefits

39 museums

Founded in 1642, Montréal is the world’s 2nd-largest French-speaking city, and with around 1,900,000 inhabitants, it is the largest metropolis in the province of Québec, Canada. The city, a 50-kilometer long island, is surrounded by the Saint Lawrence River, and is just 72 kilometers north from the United States of America border.

In 1991, Montréal became the first city in North America to create a design commissioner position, dedicated exclusively to the development and promotion of design as well as to raising awareness among private- and public-sector stakeholders of the benefits of good design. In June 2006, Montréal was named UNESCO City of Design, and became part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. In attributing that title, UNESCO acknowledged the city’s creative potential in design, based on the strong concentration of talent in the city as well as the sustained efforts put forward over the years by its public authorities to build on that strength of the new Montréal economy.

The designation has also spurred development of the design industry, improving access to public commissions for designers from here and elsewhere, and has unquestionably helped enhance Montréal’s international reputation, by emphasizing the talent and drive of Montréal designers in all disciplines.

Montréal is definitely a city of designers: over 25,000 professionals are working in this lively field that is responsible for 34% of the overall economic impact of the cultural sector. Strategies were developed through the years to highlight Montréal’s designation as a UNESCO City of Design, such as ensuring better recognition for designers, raising awareness of the talents of Montréal designers and architects, and developing their markets. Efforts to widen the use of design and architecture competitions have resulted in multiple calls to creative practitioners, aimed at increasing design quality for buildings and public spaces. Montréal is home to a host of renowned educational institutions, including some 20 college-level teaching institutions, two French-language and two English-language universities, and more than 50 research chairs, including the UNESCO Chair in Landscape and Environmental Design at Université de Montréal and four others with a design focus. With two of its universities in the world’s top 100 of the most recent QS World University Rankings, Montréal confirms its position as Canada’s hub for higher education. The city also boasts a significant number of venues for the presentation of design along with well-known organizations that highlight the creations of designers and architects from here and elsewhere. These include the Design Centre of Université du Québec à Montréal, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, as well as the Maison de l’architecture du Québec.

Discover Montreal

MUTATIONS: Where is design heading?

To mark its 50th anniversary, the École de design of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) is issuing a call for papers for the…

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Contact list_CoD EX CLUB

The successive departure of several COD focal points (including 5 pillars in 2023!), and the desire of keeping alive the professional friendships developed over the…

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Call for Papers // MUTATIONS: Where is Design Heading ? 

MUTATIONS Where is Design Heading ?  International Colloquium organized on the occasion offor the 50th anniversary of the École de design at UQAM, taking place…

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CAMPAIGN LAUNCH: Celebrating Architects and Designers Behind Exceptional Projects

  “Who is the architect – the designer”, the campaign that seeks to emphasize the creative work of dedicated professionals and increase public awareness regarding…

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Call for Information – Emerging Design Practices

The Ville de Montréal has issued an exploratory call for information to gain insights into the people and organizations that are involved in emerging design…

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Call for Best Practices -Design and Architectural Quality of Montréal’s Industrial Sites

The City of Montréal is inviting property development stakeholders in both the public and private sectors to submit industrial case studies in order to document…

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Call for proposals / Redesigning Main Street : Urban design ideas competition

With the goal of promoting resilience, inclusion and innovation in the planning of commercial thoroughfares, Ville de Montréal is launching a call to designers in…

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CALL FOR ENTRIES // GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN

In addition to becoming an international contest for which applicants from Canada and the world are eligible, the GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards innovates and…

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2020 Virtual Summit: Les Entretiens Jacques Cartier (EJC)

Montréal and Saint Etienne will both participate to the EJC Virtual Summit, a space of dialogue between the actors of the university, economic, institutional, scientific,…

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