Sustainable Neighbourhood Development Master Plan: Downtown Sherbrooke

The City of Sherbrooke has given a mandate to the Corporation de développement commercial de Sherbrooke to develop a sustainable development master plan for renewal of its downtown area using an overall sustainable approach. Sherbrooke’s 110-ha downtown has undergone a significant demographic decline, resulting in major challenges: insufficient development, lack of housing diversity, scattered public investment, travel blocked by natural barriers, and the presence of large heat sinks. To rectify the situation, Sherbrooke plans to rehabilitate the downtown area by targeting the three pillars of sustainable development (social, economic and environmental) plus culture. The city will improve on the downtown’s current future outlook and develop orientations, objectives and sustainability targets. The city will plan action on various environmental aspects: energy efficiency, waste reduction, water management, wise use of resources, active transportation, elimination of heat sinks, and soil decontamination. Among the measures considered, Sherbrooke plans to replant the area, attract businesses and services to the general area, protect and enhance natural environments and implement its sustainable mobility and GHG reduction plan. A monitoring committee, including municipal officials and citizens, will be set up to ensure that the plan meets its objectives. The development plan will unify development and make the downtown a living environment, job centre and place of culture and recreation. By developing this plan, Sherbrooke wants to transform the downtown’s image significantly by improving the quality of life there, encouraging job creation projects and acting on the major environmental challenges posed by resource management and climate change. (Project description from original funding application)