Le poteau d’utilité publique, icône d’un autre siècle?

The aerial distribution network, also known as the utility network, comprised of wooden poles and its cables, is still omnipresent in the majority of Québec’s cities. Although many perceive the public utility poles as belonging to another era, they are not ready to disappear; quite the opposite, they don’t cease to evolve. Recently, more and more pieces of equipment have been added to the network: technical contraptions, additional cables, apparatuses mounted on the summit, antennas for wireless communication, etc. Although these devices are industrially produced, the service of industrial designers has been rarely solicited during their initial conception. This research examines the aerial distribution system from a design prospective, an angle of the « new » design approach also called design thinking. The intent of this study is to analyze the impact of the aerial distribution network on the urban environment with the goal of better guiding future design practices of such infrastructures. In order to do so with a transdisciplinary mind-set, several approaches have been solicited: the systemic approach, the landscape approach and the approach of system partnership. Through literature search and field observation the research intends to obtain a holistic view of the aerial distribution network and its challenges. Through inventory, the research exposes the results of our analytical questioning: what does the aerial distribution network consist of, who intervenes with and within the network, what are their interactions, what are the viewpoints of the different categories of actors with regards to the network, how does the presence of the network impact the urban landscape and how has it evolved over the years. From a design perspective, seeking to understand an overall problem situation helps to insure that the right problems are being addressed, that all contributing aspects are being taken into account and thus diminishing negative repercussions on the current and future contextual situations.  The main findings of this research show that the current composition of the distribution network has significant shortcomings, even without taking into consideration the newly added services, uses and equipment. Management among service providers using the network is also facing challenges. The add-on of devices combined with all other equipment that gradually appear on public streets allow us to anticipate a level of saturation within the urban landscape. The hermetic and « crystallized » practices of the service providers that share the network are neither in line with the initiatives nor with the general aspirations when it comes to urban planning. Studying the problem situation of the distribution network using a design approach allows us to proactively isolate design opportunities that aim for the improvement of the existing situation, with regards to the newly appearing equipment on the poles. This approach encourages solutions that limit collateral repercussions once in its contextual environment and addresses at the same time other problem areas. Finally, the analysis of the research results allows us to enumerate a series of guidelines for the design of a future distribution network, which have been elaborated from a design perspective.

Keyphrases: Industrial design, Design approach, Aerial distribution, Utility pole, Electric post, Telephone pole, Urban equipment, Landscape planning, Urban landscape, Systemic approach