The new thinking in the Montréal region underlies an important meeting taking place here next week. Mayors and urban experts from around the world are gathering to discuss how to share and strengthen models for governing metropolitan areas. The resulting Montréal Declaration will feed directly into the agenda for Habitat III, the United Nations’ once-every-20-years conference on cities, to take place next year.

The stakes are large. By 2030, some 41 metropolitan areas around the world will be home to more than 10 million people each. If those metropolises are to grow in a way that is healthy for their people as well as the planet, local leaders within these regions will need to see past jurisdictional boundaries and work together to solve common problems.

About 1.7 million people live within the city of Montréal, which is located on an island in the St. Lawrence River. More than a dozen suburban municipalities share space on the island — a few of them are even surrounded by the city on all sides. Many more small suburban municipalities are located on the north and south shores of the river. Add it all up and you have a total of 3.7 million people living in 82 municipalities, spread across a territory that is roughly 3.5 times bigger than New York City.

There have been efforts to consolidate local government within this area. But they have been very contentious. In 2002, the provincial government of Quebec forced all 28 municipalities on the island of Montréal to merge into one mega-city. The hope was that a larger city would create economies of scale and allow for more efficient delivery of municipal services.

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When asked how the 82 mayors came to align on a common vision, Suzanne Roy says mutual respect is a crucial factor. “The only way we succeeded in creating the PMAD, is when the different sectors didn’t feel threatened anymore. For instance, we didn’t feel the center wanted everything for itself, or the suburbs wanted everything for themselves. It’s all about creating a balance,” she explains. ... New reforms led by the government of Quebec could give a boost to Greater Montréal’s ambitions as of next year. They include giving more autonomy to all municipalities in the province to make their own decisions in terms of spending and governance. The reforms also would grant the City of Montréal a special political status, which could eventually lead to increased powers when it comes to managing the environment, immigration, economic development, housing and transportation.

According to Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre, such a status could help boost the entire region’s economy, notably by allowing the city to bring new jobs and foreign investment. As he said last year, “A real metropolis should have the autonomy to decide on its priorities.”