Toronto Sidewalk Toronto at Quayside | ?m | ?s | Sidewalk | Snøhetta

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ADRM said:
Exactly — the Thugs have shown literally zero regard for either norms or legally binding contractual agreements, and they’re looking for every single opportunity to stick it to the globalist leftists who have silly snowflake priorities, so I’d actually be surprised if they didn’t blow up this whole thing.
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Of course, blowing up high-paid tech jobs is exactly how you ensure Ontario is open for business.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
I think so - there is no material commitment at this point but can you imagine what message that would send to the international tech community? Having said that, the current provincial government doesn't seem to be particularly concerned about that.

AoD
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Didn't Sidewalk Labs pledge $10,000,000 for planning and $40,000,000 for further investment? Just curious to know what you mean by material commitment.
 
Justatorontonian said:
Didn't Sidewalk Labs pledge $10,000,000 for planning and $40,000,000 for further investment? Just curious to know what you mean by material commitment.
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These are just part of the consultation process leading up to the project plan that will require final approval - it is not the actual approved project proper. That's what I meant by "material commitment".

AoD
 
Maybe I'm misinformed, but I don't understand the controversy regarding this. Yes, Sidewalk/Google will collect data, which is reasonable since you need data to have better systems (totally made-up example, but you need to know how much garbage I throw out to know how often the garbage robot has to come to my unit). Plus, the data will be held in a public trust.

All that seems reasonable and no more controversial than Google collecting information from my web browsing activities. I've yet to hear anyone point to a specific issue they have other than "they'll collect data". So...what's the controversy?
 
As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. The magnitude of the data to be collected is far greater than what you typically give up in your web-browsing activities; the implications of what can be done with said data, and by whom, can have far-reaching consequences. If you trust Alphabet to act in your best interests as a private citizen, that's great. Personally, I can't agree with that sanguine approach. The big data titans have already proven their ability to screw things up with user data, time and time again. It may not seem like it, but there's a lot at stake here; this is a pilot project, a test bed for a system they'll be eager to roll out in a host of major urban centres. There's lots that they can get right and lots more that they can bungle on an epic level.
 
Full Metal Junkie said:
So setting the drama between WT and Ontario government aside, can this project be completely scrapped at this point (i.e. Sidewalk Labs told to take a hike)?
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Well it would take a board majority, would it not? The Chair and two board members let go represented Ontario, Toronto and the feds are still part of the organization. Not so sure it's that easy for Doug to nuke it.
 
Sidewalk Labs’ big idea for heating and cooling buildings is lukewarm water. Don’t laugh
The Google-backed plan to revitalize part of Toronto’s waterfront includes a new type of district-energy system that could provide a climate-friendly solution to heating and cooling
The company’s approach would involve pipes filled with water, but not at the extreme temperatures of traditional systems. The water could be warmer or cooler but, in general, it would be much closer to the temperature of the ground the pipes run through — the “ambient” in “ambient loop.” The water in the pipes wouldn’t take care of the heating or cooling: that job would be done by heat pumps.
More....https://www.tvo.org/article/current...ooling-buildings-is-lukewarm-water-dont-laugh
 
"that job would be done by heat pumps. " Well, I have a heat pump in my condo which is operated by not very cold water in summer and not very hot water in winter. That's how heat pumps work and it presumably works fine for district heating on a bigger scale but it's certainly not some new invention. Waterfront Toronto laid lots of district heating piping all around the Canary District and had plans for a "District Heating plant" before the Pan-Am Games came along and they had to install more traditional heating/cooling in each (?) building.
 
DSC said:
"that job would be done by heat pumps. " Well, I have a heat pump in my condo which is operated by not very cold water in summer and not very hot water in winter. That's how heat pumps work and it presumably works fine for district heating on a bigger scale but it's certainly not some new invention. Waterfront Toronto laid lots of district heating piping all around the Canary District and had plans for a "District Heating plant" before the Pan-Am Games came along and they had to install more traditional heating/cooling in each (?) building.
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Ha, yeah, it's sounding a bit Elon Musk-like, in the oh-is-he-inventing-things-that-already-exist-again sense.
 
www.thestar.com

Google’s Sidewalk Labs plans massive expansion to waterfront vision

To finance its expanded vision for Toronto’s waterfront, Google’s Sidewalk Labs wants a share of the property taxes, development fees and increased value of city land that would normally go to the city, the Star has learned.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com

Google’s futuristic development on the eastern waterfront, Quayside, is only the first step in an expansive and ambitious plan to build new neighbourhoods — and new transit — throughout the entire Port Lands, the Star has learned.

In return for its investment in this vision, Sidewalk Labs wants a share of the property taxes, development fees and increased value of city land that would normally go to city coffers.

Internal documents obtained by the Star show Sidewalk Labs plans to make the case that it is “entitled to … a share in the uptick in land value on the entire geography ... a share of developer charges and incremental tax revenue on all land.”

These future revenues, based on the anticipated increase in land value once homes and offices are built on the derelict Port Lands, are estimated to be $6 billion over the next 30 years. Even a small portion of this could amount to a large,recurring revenue stream diverted from the city into private hands.

Slides from a presentation given to parent company Alphabet in November, marked “proprietary and confidential,” show Sidewalk Labs does not intend to construct buildings on the majority of the Port Lands, but wants to benefit from its increased value once other developers build there.
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1-sidewalk-rendering.jpg
 
ChesterCopperpot said:
www.thestar.com

Google’s Sidewalk Labs plans massive expansion to waterfront vision

To finance its expanded vision for Toronto’s waterfront, Google’s Sidewalk Labs wants a share of the property taxes, development fees and increased value of city land that would normally go to the city, the Star has learned.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com



1-sidewalk-rendering.jpg
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This sounds very dubious. Other developers pay for the right to build via section 37, 42 and other contributions, here they want to be paid.............?

Now, if they absorb costs that would otherwise be municipal............ AND the the City gets full ownership of the resulting assets.......... I'm willing to entertain this discussion....

But with a very healthy dose of cynicism baked in.
 
This is pretty gross and disgusting.

Imagine how differently this unilateral announcement of expansion on publicly owned lands in the Portlands, proposal for acquisition of future municipal revenues, and apparent "secret meetings" with three levels of government, would read if we replaced "Sidewalk Toronto" with "Mattamy Homes" or "Smart Centres".
 
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