Since 2005 our organization has worked at developing an ambitious popular education initiative, which is being realized by our School for Urban Citizenship. Its aim is to encourage more citizens to get involved in the development of neighbourhoods and the city.

More specific objectives follow:

• To reinforce citizens’ and community organizers’ knowledge of existing city bodies of public participation;

• To build citizens’ capacities to occupy the various existing participatory spaces. This would include municipal institutions as well as various local community forums;

• To promote the sharing of expertise between actors (community organizers and citizens) on various local experiences of citizen participation in the sustainable development of neighbourhoods;

• To promote a partnership between universities and community organizations on the issue of citizen participation in the sustainable development of neighbourhoods and the city;

• To raise awareness among various financial and institutional partners of the importance of citizen participation in the sustainable development of Montreal.