Alphabet to build ‘futuristic neighborhood’ in Canadian city of Toronto
Sidewalk Labs, part of Google parent company Alphabet, is partnering with the Canadian city of Toronto to develop a ‘futuristic neighborhood’. Google is moving its Canadian headquarters to the area.
Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the plans during a press conference on Tuesday. Sidewalk Labs is partnering with the Toronto City Council to redesign the Quayside waterfront area. Sidewalk Labs will initially invest $50 million in making the initial plans. TechCrunch reports that the city of Toronto itself is investing $1.25 billion in the project.
Self-driving shuttle buses are to be used in the area. Modular buildings will be built that use new construction methods and energy must be generated sustainably. The area will also house an urban innovation institute, where students and entrepreneurs will have to solve problems faced by cities. Google will also move its Canadian headquarters with 300 employees to the area. The aim is also for tech talents and start-ups to gather in the district.
The area will have a so-called digital layer, with which data can be collected. Sidewalk Labs indicates that the privacy of residents is important and says it will guarantee it. There must also be a clear privacy policy and collected data will only be used to improve the area.
The area will be called Sidewalk Toronto and a website has been put online with explanations. Sidewalk Labs’ vision for the area has also been published on the site. The company has been awarded the contract to develop the area by submitting that plan. Waterfront Toronto, the government agency responsible for developing the area, had received multiple submissions. Toronto residents are allowed to contribute ideas about the development.
The city council’s goal is for the futuristic area to serve as a model for a larger portion of Toronto. Sidewalk Labs sees the area as a place to test technology. The company’s goal is to develop technology and then license it to other cities.
Sidewalk Labs is a separate company that falls under the umbrella of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. The aim of the company is to improve urban infrastructure. An earlier Sidewalk Labs project was to provide cities with large numbers of Wi-Fi hotspots.
Waterfront Toronto, the affected area