Sidewalk Labs, the subsidiary company of Google parent company Alphabet, has designs for development potential far beyond the Quayside neighborhood where it's partnering with Waterfront Toronto to test new smart city technology.
Marco Chown Oved reports: "Google’s futuristic development on the eastern waterfront, Quayside, is only the first step in an expansive and ambitious plan to build new neighbourhoods — and new transit — throughout the entire Port Lands, the Star has learned."
"In return for its investment in this vision, Sidewalk Labs wants a share of the property taxes, development fees and increased value of city land that would normally go to city coffers," adds Oved.
The article, which might be behind a paywall for some readers, includes new maps of the expanded development area.
The bombshell news caused a stir on social media, and a few days after the news broke, Dan Doctoroff, CEO and co-founder of Sidewalk Labs, took to the pages of the Toronto Star to explain the company's take on the news and make the case that the company is not interested the Eastern Waterfront area beyond Quayside.
"In general, the role that we think we are suited to play on the Eastern Waterfront is that of a catalyst, with our participation based on what Sidewalk can uniquely offer, helping governments bridge gaps — not stepping into their shoes — and proving out innovative concepts for wider adoption by the public and private sectors," according to Doctoroff.
FULL STORY: Google’s Sidewalk Labs plans massive expansion to waterfront vision [paywall]
After Sidewalk Labs, a New Plan Emerges for Toronto's Waterfront
Just shy of a year after Sidewalk Labs pulled the plug on its "smart city" experiment for Quayside, Waterfront Toronto has a released a request for qualifications to move forward with a new, "people-centered" vision for the waterfront.
Decision on Sidewalk Labs' Plan for Toronto Waterfront Delayed
The spread of the coronavirus has delayed one of the most closely watched planning projects in North America.
Waterfront Toronto Greenlights Most of Sidewalk Labs' Quayside Master Plan
An evaluation committee made up of Waterfront Toronto staff has given a green light for the Sidewalk Labs master plan for Toronto to proceed to the next stages of planning.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association