What if Creatives became developers?
Montreal’s creatives play a crucial role in shaping our living culture—a dynamic force that drives wealth, influence, and a unique social ecology in our metropolis. Artists and cultural workers are essential contributors to the city’s vibrant life, on par with sectors like Health, Education, Infrastructure and Public Safety. These practitioners, who sustain, protect, and enrich our communities, should be able to afford to live in the city they help shape.
Our city’s creative pulse is fueled by over 4.8 million inhabitants across 200 diverse ethno-cultural communities, making Montreal a long-standing hub of creativity, culture, and innovation. Now, faced with an unprecedented housing shortage and declining affordability, artists here have a median income of just $17,400. With economic pressures bearing down on households and communities, we face a critical choice: either accept a reality where creators can no longer afford to live in the city they sustain or leverage our creative capital to propel social innovation, cultural entrepreneurship, and economic justice.
Our Theory of Change :
Living Culture as Essential Work
We believe that by placing artists and cultural entrepreneurs at the center of real estate innovation, we can harness creativity, art, and culture to drive social transformation, reshaping the housing market to foster meaningful intersections between housing and social infrastructure. Our approach not only provides permanent, affordable housing for the Creative Class but also underscores the vital role essential workers across various fields play in sustaining society, positioning them at the heart of innovations that will shape our city for generations.
Tiotiàh:ke/Montreal, the prototype :
A Transatlantic Renaissance in the Making
Inspired by transformative movements like the Harlem Renaissance, this initiative unites Montreal, Atlanta, and New York—three cities generating over $150 billion in creative industry output—in a shared vision of urban reimagination. Together, these creative epicenters channel vast cultural and economic capital to drive social change, urban equitism, and collective innovation.
Creative Industries Economic Impact :
- $9.4 billion : Annual economic turnover of Montreal’s creative industries
- $37 billion : Revenue from Georgia’s creative industries
- $110 billion : Total economic activity in New York's creative sector
This historic partnership is a call to action: a shared vision to reimagine urban spaces through art, culture, and collective action for change and development in Montreal. Creativity, collaboration, and experimentation are at the heart of this initiative, reflecting the city’s commitment to addressing the pressing social, climate, and economic challenges it faces.
