Governing public nuisance: Collaboration and conflict regarding the presence of homeless people in public spaces of Montreal

Abstract

Exclusionary policing has been a strong, enduring trend for responding to the presence of marginalised groups in public spaces of Western cities – at times so dominant that it overshadows the existence of alternative rationalities such as public health and social justice. Are such alternatives simply powerless? Are they mere auxiliaries of exclusive strategies? In Montreal, public order, public health and social justice have been embodied by a variety of stakeholders and strategies, thereby offering the chance to explore the intercourse between the three rationalities in a situated way. While public health and social justice have long supported each other, relationships with public order have often presented conflict. The case of Montreal, however, also reflects some shifts towards balanced collaboration under certain circumstances that will be scrutinised.