Alphabet unit said to eye Toronto for digital city dream
LARRY Page’s dream of using technology to fix cities may come to Canada first.
Sidewalk Labs, the urban innovation unit of Page’s Alphabet Inc., has applied to develop a 12- acre strip in downtown Toronto, responding to a recent city agency request for proposals, according to two people familiar with the plans. Details of the proposal are private, but these people said the bid fits with the company’s ambition to create a connected, high-tech city or district from scratch.
Last year, the company began talking openly about building a theoretical urban zone “from the internet up,” with some of the same tools and principles that have fuelled success at many tech companies.
Before applying in Toronto, Sidewalk Labs discussed creating a district in Denver and Detroit with Alphabet executives, according to the people. They asked not to be identified discussing private plans.
In a speech last week at the Smart Cities NYC conference, Sidewalk Labs Chief Executive Officer Dan Doctoroff said the firm is exploring development of a “large-scale district.”
“I’m sure many of you are thinking this is a crazy idea,” Doctoroff said, according to news website StateScoop. “We don’t think it’s crazy at all. People thought it was crazy when Google decided to connect all the world’s information. People thought it was crazy to think about the concept of a selfdriving car.”
A representative for Sidewalk Labs confirmed Doctoroff’s speech but declined to comment further. Doctoroff was CEO of Bloomberg LP and worked as deputy mayor of New York City when Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg was mayor.
Canadian officials set up Waterfront Toronto, a public corporation designed to revitalize a 2,000-acre downtown plot, in 2001. Earlier this year, the agency requested proposals for part of that area: A new “community” called Quayside to be developed with a private “innovation and funding partner.” — WP-Bloomberg