Pierre Bouchard graduated in 1977 from the School of Landscape Architecture, University of Montreal. He began his professional career working in a private landscape architectural practice before moving on to pluri-disciplinary firms where he became more involved with project management. It was in this capacity that he joined the City of Montreal in 1985.
His interest in identifying the major societal issues influencing the design of the city of tomorrow led him to the urban and parks planning department within the city’s parks and green space division where he eventually became director. He later went on to direct other city departments including the ‘Strategic Projects Bureau’ and the ‘Office of Government Relations’
where he negotiated new partnership agreements with Québec touching on infrastructures, immigrant integration, housing culture and social affaires. During this period Pierre also assumed the position of ‘Interim director of International Affairs’ for the city and helped forge the unique Montreal-Shanghai twin city agreement and friendship.
In 2004, he assume the direction of the Direction des grands parcs et de la nature en ville, (Parks and nature in the city) his focus is on how the city will adapt to upcoming societal change. Social diversity, climate change and the need to redefine the place of the automobile within the city are issues of concern.
Today, as a retired landscape architect, he is actively involve on the boards of different non-profit organizations in three fields related to landscape architecture : greening the city, great park management and downtown social housing management.