Update 1: May 4, 2020 This post previously left off with the three questions I had asked Waterfront Toronto about the government task force(s) for the Sidewalk Toronto project on April 1,2020. Again, the questions that I emailed them were: In terms of the task
I’m always struggling with when/what deserves an answer or amplification in the news when things are written about the use of data or technology to address issues of public good or public service. I’ve been reading a lot about this lately in relation to the
This past weekend I was reflecting on what it means to have the kind of power that gives you the confidence to: 1. commit the public to a type of deal/process they didn’t ask for 2. can’t get out of, and 3. have no democratic
To Executive Committee, As you consider the update on the City of Toronto’s Digital Infrastructure Plan, please add a principle for technological sovereignty. This is a core tenet of the foundational work in Barcelona, and is prescriptive enough to have a real and measurable policy impact.
1. What do you like about the draft principles? (Detail on the five draft principles can be found in the discussion guide – pages 7-16). They are: 1. Equity & Inclusion 2. A Well-Run City 3. Social, Economic, & Environmental Benefits 4. Privacy & Security
Bianca Wylie Parkdale, Toronto July 31, 2019 Dear Waterfront Toronto, As you wrap up this first round of consultation and continue with your deliberations I have two thoughts to share from a resident perspective. Firstly, “the whole is other than the sum of its parts.”
Today the Wall Street Journal reported that Alphabet Inc. is “teaming up with its subsidiary, Sidewalk Labs LLC, and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) to launch an infrastructure holding company that is being spun out of Sidewalk.” Like the idea or not (and some clearly
Quick preface to this post, which is about the Sidewalk Toronto process. I am almost (truly) done reading Sidewalk Labs’ plan and continue to understand and see value in discussing the urban planning ideas in it. This post does not erase that sentiment. Those ideas
Dear Toronto Star Editorial Board, (Andrew Phillips, Jordan Himelfarb, Dianne Rinehart, and Scott Colby). This is a quick post in response to the Toronto Star Editorial Board’s recent Sidewalk Toronto oped. The Star piece is titled: We Shouldn’t Settle for More of the Same on
Sidewalk Labs, the Candidate By Sean McDonald and Bianca Wylie Normally when we convey open-ended power over public spaces and policies, we do so to candidates through democratic election. In the Sidewalk Toronto case, through an open-ended request for proposal, that power may be offered