The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has caused Sidewalk Labs, a Google affiliate, to withdraw from the Toronto waterfront development partnership.
An artist’s rendering of Toronto’s shoreline in 2050. Regulating the future city poses new challenges for different levels of government.
Picture Plane/Heatherwick Studio for Sidewalk Labs
Regulating Sidewalk Labs proposed developments poses new challenges for assigning responsibility and oversight.
Politicians from all parties should be asked tough questions about their support of Toronto’s Sidewalk Labs Quayside project while on the campaign trail. This is an artist’s rendering of the project.
Sidewalk Toronto
If governments can’t get something like Quayside right, that bodes ill for Canada’s digital future. The election gives us a chance to see where the parties stand on vital data governance issues.
The proposed Quayside neighbourhood in Toronto will collect data from individuals in public spaces, but getting consent is a tricky issue.
Picture Plane for Heatherwick Studio for Sidewalk Labs
A report based on public consultations conducted by Sidewalk Labs has still not answered many pressing concerns about privacy and consent in Toronto’s Quayside development.
An artist’s rendering of the proposed Quayside neighbourhood in Toronto.
Alphabet Inc. Sidewalk Labs
As cities aspire to be smarter, technologies are only part of the answer. No utopia on the horizon but we need hostistic answers more than ever before.
Smart planning of cities needs to include addressing citizens’ privacy concerns.
Shutterstock
Toronto’s Quayside smart city project needs a new, truly consultative process. An innovative method used by Brazil to develop its landmark Internet Bill of Rights may be the answer.
A rendering of Quayside, a neighborhood designed by Sidewalk Labs.
Sidewalk Labs