On pp. 271-2 of his seminal Designing for Man and Motor (Pergamon, Oxford 1964) Paul Ritter credits the design of this small suburban area to J. Auguste Gosselin and R. P. Jean d'Autenil Richard. Ritter writes:
'L'Union Economique d'habitation was founded by a priest with the help of a lawyer. Without any professional designers they envisaged what they felt to be healthy surroundings for the working classes of Montreal in 1940. The social, economic and moral basis was co-operation. By subscription, members joined and houses were built as quickly as the war conditions allowed it. 425 active members moved in from 1942 onwards. Sadly, tragically, the scheme met so many difficulties that it failed to progress as planned. This would have given cities all over Canada such communities. A central building providing a clinic, school, bank, grocery store, cafeteria and directors office, was working well for many years and is not being rehabilitated after some years of disuse.
'Remarkably these lay men, starting from first principles, hit on the Radburn Idea. I paid a prolonged visit to this scheme, completely unknown to planners, beyond one architect in Montreal, to whom I am deeply indebted for showing me the area. It works as well, or better, than any other traffic-segregated scheme I have seen in any country. The path areas are an informal, well-used space in which members have built swings, planted rockeries and in which the in the autumn they burn leaves after children have romped in the piles. Swimming pools would be built in the same spirit only Montreal by-laws make it necessary to fence these off because of danger to small children. Although unlit, the path system is in no way ever regarded as dangerous in the dark and in twenty years there has been no attack on anyone. The culs-de-sac get their name and individuality from the species of tree planted along them, different with each one... larch, planes, chestnuts, cedars, spruce, oak.
'These culs-de-sac have no laid footpaths along them in the main. They are worn. The area, as so many Radburn areas, has gained in value beyond the gain shown by other housing over the years. The turnover of residents is much smaller than in Montreal in general and a few strolls around the area makes one realise why. I met Paulette Thivierge, twenty, who had lived all her life in the area. She showed a great deal of understanding and enthusiasm for the advantages of the lay-out. There was a great deal of friendly and helpful contact.'
(from p. 272 of Planning for Man and Motor).
* Arcana this may be, but I am assuming that the Paulette Thivierge that Ritter refers to is the woman born in 1941 who married Hans de Jonge in 1964 and whose 50th wedding anniversary is captured in this video. The most interesting element of this factoid for our purposes is it tells us Ritter visited Cité Jardin in 1961, and perhaps it puts us in mind to try to make contact with Mrs. de Jonge sometime in the future to talk about Ritter's visit and life growing up in Cité Jardin too.
Some interesting takes (article + comments) on the development to be found here.
