Google’s parent company, Alphabet, Inc, has pulled the reins in on an ambitious project to build a smart city in a Toronto neighborhood.
“We are working to demonstrate an inclusive neighborhood here in Toronto where we can shorten commute times, make housing more affordable, create new jobs, and set a new standard for a healthier planet,” Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff said in a statement, according to CNN.
However, faced with community opposition with respect to privacy and other concerns, the project has been scaled back.
Alphabet’s development will be limited to 12 acres, rather than the 190 acres it described in its plan. Alphabet will not be the project’s lead developer, and there’s no guarantee that public transit will be extended to its site. Personal information collected in the development will be stored in Canada. Alphabet has also scrapped its plans for an urban data trust, a new and largely untested solution. It will comply with existing and future regulations.
Watch an interesting video here that explains the concept, including snow melters built into the street.
But bottom line — It’s still not a done deal.