From 190 acres to 12 acres, that's the reduction in scale announced this week by representatives of Sidewalk Labs of its plan for Quayside on the waterfront in Toronto.
"Google sister company Sidewalk Labs has agreed to scale back and refine its approach to a controversial hi-tech neighbourhood it has proposed for a swath of Toronto’s prime waterfront land," reports Tara Deschamps.
"Instead of developing 190 acres of property, as it announced in June, Sidewalk agreed on Thursday to scale back its plan to the 12 acres it first envisioned in its response to a request for proposals two years ago."
Any future expansion of the experiment would require the company to go through a formal process again, according to Deschamps.
After revealing the master plan for the project in June, Sidewalk Labs received its first feedback from the public on that master plan in July, where concerns about the scale of the project were among the opinions expressed.
[Update: additional coverage from Natalie Wong focuses on the major hurdle toward approval cleared by the project with this news. Sidewalk Labs has also published a blog post to explain the current status of the project.]
FULL STORY: Google sister company agrees to scale back controversial Toronto project
Tech and the Post-Pandemic City
To steer American cities into the future, public and private sectors—and citizens—must work together to build broad, lasting support around complicated issues such as transparency and data privacy.
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.
Demystifying Mass Timber
Quayside, Sidewalk Labs' smart city in Toronto, calls for ten tall buildings made entirely of wood. Here's why proponents think mass timber is a good idea, and what obstacles stand in its way.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
Four Reasons Urban Planners Can’t Ignore AI
It’s no longer a question of whether AI will shape planning, but how. That how is up to us.
Bikeshare for the Win: Team Pedals to London Cricket Match, Beats Rivals Stuck in Traffic
While their opponents sat in gridlock, England's national cricket team hopped Lime bikes, riding to a 3-0 victory.
Amtrak’s Borealis Exceeds First Year Ridership Expectations
205,800 passengers have boarded the St. Paul to Chicago line, well above initial MDOT projections.
Study: 4% of Truckers Lack a Valid Commercial License
Over 56% of inspected trucks had other violations.
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 Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)