The Disctrict as a Transactional Space
This paper addresses the way in which neighbourhoods are shaped by Tables de quartier (local advisory boards) actively involved in a city-wide social development program set in Montreal (Initiative montréalaise de soutien au développement social local). It analyzes the setting-up of deliberative spaces facilitated by local actors tasked with organizing debates on urban planning and social development issues. The Tables de quartier in Montréal conform to a variety of organizational models, but share a common set of concerns. Through planning, consultation or negotiation, they contribute to defining the neighbourhood as a transactional space, and in this way, they produce and reproduce the image of the neighbourhood.