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.

1 minute read

February 21, 2020, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Toronto Waterfront

JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock

Donovan Vincent reports that a six-member evaluation committee tasked with assessing Sidewalk Labs' proposal for the Toronto waterfront neighborhood of Quayside.

"The technical evaluation by Waterfront Toronto staff, released Tuesday [February 18], says of the 160 'solutions' or innovations Google sister firm Sidewalk Labs has put forward in its master plan for the proposed 12-acre neighbourhood, a large majority — 144 innovations or 90 per cent — meet Waterfront Toronto’s objectives," explains Vincent.

"The list of innovations supported by Waterfront Toronto will be prioritized, and the number may be pared down by the agency and Sidewalk Labs to fit the 12-acre Quayside, Waterfront Toronto says."

The innovations winning approval from Waterfront Toronto include "a mass timber factory producing materials for the construction for wood buildings, robots that detect when trash bins are full, roofs covered in vegetation to reduce stormwater runoff, a patent pledge of Sidewalk Labs’ digital innovations that would support the growth of Canadian innovations, and the use of common standards for digital systems and technologies used at Quayside." The article also lists some of the 16 innovations that didn't pass muster.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020 in The Star

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Brutalist grey department of housing and urban development building in Washington DC.

How Trump's HUD Budget Proposal Would Harm Homelessness Response

Experts say the change to the HUD budget would make it more difficult to identify people who are homeless and connect them with services, and to prevent homelessness.

2 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Lancaster Boulevard with tree-lined median and wide sidewalks in Lancaster, California.

The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way

One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Sign in front of building for seior services center in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk

High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.

4 hours ago - WESH

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA