Weather plays a big factor in the "smart cities" technology experiments in development by Sidewalk Labs for its Toronto pilot project.
Jacques Gallant reports on a recent Sidewalk Labs open house where the beleaguered company demonstrated some of its ideas for its "smart city" pilot in the Quayside neighborhood on the waterfront in Toronto.
"Sidewalk, backed by Google parent company Alphabet Inc., was showing off projects for the planned Quayside district, a test zone for urban tech on a 12-acre piece of land where Queens Quay E. meets Lake Shore Blvd.," according to Gallant.
"The projects included a 'building raincoat' — described as an adjustable plastic film awning attached to a building that can extend to protect the sidewalk from the elements. Another is a hexagonal paving system, including heated slabs to melt the snow and reduce the need for plowing and salting," reports Gallant.
The demonstration was effective in winning over at least some members of the public who attended the open house, as the project faces a spate of recent criticism.
FULL STORY: ‘Building raincoats’ and heated paving stones: Smart city technology on display at Sidewalk Labs open house

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions