Quayside 2.0 Rejects the ‘Smart City’

In a reversal from Sidewalk Labs’ now-defunct tech-heavy proposal, Toronto’s new plan for the waterfront development known as Quayside emphasizes greenery and nature.

2 minute read

July 1, 2022, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


After the spectacular failure of Sidewalk Labs’ ambitious plan to redevelop Toronto’s waterfront into a tech utopia called Quayside, the city has a new plan that favors nature over technology, writes Karrie Jacobs in Technology Review. 

The Sidewalk Labs ‘smart city’ proposal encountered opposition from the beginning. “The project’s tech-first approach antagonized many; its seeming lack of seriousness about the privacy concerns of Torontonians was likely the main cause of its demise.” As Jacobs writes, “By May 2020, Sidewalk had pulled the plug, citing ‘the unprecedented economic uncertainty brought on by the covid-19 pandemic.’ But that economic uncertainty came at the tail end of years of public controversy over its $900 million vision for a data-rich city within the city.”

Toronto hired a new design team to create a new vision for the site. “The new Waterfront Toronto project has clearly learned from the past. Renderings of the new plans for Quayside—call it Quayside 2.0—released earlier this year show trees and greenery sprouting from every possible balcony and outcropping, with nary an autonomous vehicle or drone in site.” In the new plan, Jacobs observes, “The pendulum has swung back toward Howard’s garden city: Quayside 2022 is a conspicuous disavowal not only of the 2017 proposal but of the smart city concept itself.”

The plan leaves open questions about the actual impact of its “green” infrastructure. Jacobs wonders, “How many pocket forests and neighborhood farms will it take to cool the planet?” But “Whatever its practical impact, renderings of the new version of Quayside suggest a more livable place” and a deeper understanding of what makes cities desirable places to live.

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 in Technology Review

View of small-town street with brick buildings and cars parked in diagonal parking with string lights going across street in Cleveland County, Oklahoma.

Norman, Oklahoma Eliminates Parking Mandates

The city made a subtle, one-word change that frees up developers to build parking based on actual need and eliminates costly unnecessary parking.

September 14, 2023 - Next City

Few passengers waiting in subway station with multiple platforms and "North Station" signs in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Transit Riders Report Safety Concerns

Almost three-quarters of current and former riders report feeling unsafe while using MBTA services.

September 18, 2023 - Hoodline

View of Boston from Bunker Hill with statue in foreground

Boston to Begin Zoning Code Update, Mayor Announces

It’s been nearly 60 years, but the city of Boston is finally ready to do a comprehensive rewrite of its zoning code.

September 14, 2023 - The Boston Globe

Aerial view of large warehouses in Southern California with hills in background.

California Air Regulators to Crack Down on Warehouses

Truck traffic to and from Southern California warehouses accounts for as much pollution as refineries, power plants, and other industrial polluters combined.

September 22 - Los Angeles Times

Close-up of bioswale drain with pebbles and various small plants with water running through.

FEMA Climate Resilience Loans Target Small Communities

A new loan program reduces the bureaucratic hurdles to implementing small-scale climate adaptation projects.

September 22 - Grist

Silver and red WMATA public bus at station in Washington, D.C.

D.C. Delays Bus Lane Enforcement

The program using cameras to ticket drivers who block bus lanes was scheduled to begin this week.

September 22 - DCist