CDU vs. CDU

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Montreal's Commission de développment urbain (CDU)--the branch of city council responsible for approving zoning changes--has a new adversary in the recently formed citizens' group called the Coalition pour la démocratie urbaine (CDU). The coalition is composed of disgruntled neighbourhood groups from 15 city districts.

"Our name is a bit tongue-in-cheek. But we also find ourselves in a very serious situation in not having a democratic voice in Montreal," says coalition spokesperson Ted Dillon.

In an open letter to Mayor Pierre Bourque this week, the coalition states that when citizens have presented their concerns about the impacts of condo projects, mega-malls, or industrial developments on their quality of life, the CDU has largely ignored them in favour of the interests of developers.

"We're not anti-development," says Dillon. "We just don't support unplanned development and a sham consultation process."

Along with Quebec City, Montreal is the only municipality in the province where citizens cannot fight zoning changes or mega-projects with petitions or referendums. The coalition wants the City Charter changed to do just that.

Dillon also says they want the CDU replaced with a new body that would be more concerned with citizens' interests, "so that we're no longer at the mercy of the connections between developers and the city administration." : -- Wayne Hiltz

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