Avenue des Lumières runs through the heart of Quartier DIX30 in Brossard, Canada's second-largest mixed-use shopping centre. For nearly two decades, the 400-metre corridor served primarily as a vehicular artery connecting the retail complex. The project transforms this strip by removing over 11,000 m² of asphalt and replacing it with a generous landscaped promenade designed to slow visitors down, invite exploration, and extend the site's appeal across all seasons.
Two pedestrian pathways structure the new avenue, each offering a distinct experience of the site. A paved linear promenade runs along the storefronts, maintaining clear and fluid access from one retailer to the next. Parallel to it, a winding sand-toned trail moves through dense plantings, creating an immersive, park-like atmosphere that feels removed from the commercial context surrounding it. Pergolas, rest areas, a playground, and flexible event spaces are distributed throughout, giving the avenue a range of uses beyond circulation. A direct pedestrian link to the nearby REM station reinforces its role as a connected urban destination.
Nearly half of the project sits above an existing underground parking structure, a constraint that required reinforcing and waterproofing the slab before any planting could take place. Raised mounds and integrated planters provide the soil depth needed to support over 15,000 plants, including shrubs, perennials, grasses, and canopy trees intended for long-term growth.
Three rain gardens totalling 680 m² manage stormwater through bioretention across the site. The extensive vegetation helps reduce surface temperatures and mitigate urban heat island effects within what remains a dense commercial environment. Taken together, these strategies reflect the project's broader ambition: to demonstrate that privately owned developments can contribute meaningfully to urban climate resilience, without waiting for public land or public initiative to lead the way.
