Is Sidewalk’s departure the end of the road? 10 lessons for communities building their own smart and inclusive cities

Author James Chan
What role should technology play?

Why It Matters

Sidewalk Labs’ dream was to build a next-generation, high-tech neighbourhood in Toronto as a showcase for what cities of the future could look like. It was one of the highest-profile and most anticipated projects of its kind, anywhere in the world. Their successes, failures, and decision to walk away has lessons for communities across Canada.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"Is Sidewalk\u2019s departure the end of the road? 10 lessons for communities building their own smart and inclusive cities. In early May, Google\u2019s NYC-based sister company Sidewalk Labs announced its decision to not proceed with Quayside, a smart technology-enabled neighbourhood on Toronto\u2019s redeveloping waterfront. Sidewalk had been working with the government agency Waterfront Toronto for the past two and a half years in what was one of the highest-profile and most anticipated smart city developments in the world, culminating in a 1,500 page \u2018Master Innovation and Development Plan\u2019 that included proposals for everything from more affordable high-rises made from wood to a energy grid that won't rely on fossil fuels. (If you\u2019re new t

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