City staff says $800,000 in public funds needed to analyze Sidewalk Labs smart--city plan

Thestar.com
June 4, 2019
Donovan Vincent

A City of Toronto staff report says $800,000 in public money is needed to pay for temporary jobs, consultants, public consultation, research and analysis to review Sidewalk Labs’ master plan for its Quayside housing development.

The new report from Tracey Cook, deputy city manager, infrastructure and development services, says the money would come from debt financing reallocated from a capital project now on hold.

The funds would include payment for external consultants who would be retained to oversee a public and stakeholder engagement process that will centre on the master plan, the report says.

The report goes on to say the city’s information and technology division would need to hire a consultant to do research on “precedents and best practices” around digital infrastructure. Digital infrastructure can refer to items such as broadband and cellular networks, or facilities and platforms that store data.

The $800,000 would also include money for the city clerk to retain a consultant to assist the city with data governance and privacy protection guidelines and provide “a foundational framework” of policies, standards and systems.

Sidewalk Labs, a sister firm of Google, is set this month to release its master innovation and development plan (MIDP) for its Quayside “beta site” project, a mixed--use development on Toronto’s waterfront that the firm says will feature sensors and data--driven technology aimed at making life for thousands of new residents, workers and visitors to the district more efficient.

But the proposed smart--city project has stirred controversy, particularly from individuals and groups who are concerned that data collected in public spaces in the district will invade individual privacy.

Sidewalk Labs has pledged not to control the data, but rather have an independent third--party “data trust” be responsible for overseeing it.

Sidewalk Labs wants to build the mostly residential, tech--driven neighbourhood on a 12--acre parcel of land near Parliament St. and Queens Quay. The firm says the project would include a portion of the Port Lands where Sidewalk Labs wants a new Google Canada headquarters to be.

The report, which goes to the city’s executive committee meeting Thursday, says once Sidewalk Labs’ master plan is delivered to Waterfront Toronto -- Sidewalk Labs’ partner on the project -- the tri--government organization will host a series of public and stakeholder meetings this fall. Waterfront Toronto will complete its evaluation of the master plan by the end of this year, with its board of directors considering the plan and recommendations from its managers late this year or early next.

Sidewalk Labs officials say the master plan could be as long as 1,000 pages if not more.

The city report says the “complex and unique” document will require several months of review, including input from city hall and the provincial and federal governments, along with experts, the business community and broader public.

Sidewalk Labs spokesperson Keerthana Rang said Monday the firm has worked hard over the last two years on developing its plan.

“The executive committee meeting on Thursday marks the beginning of a new stage in our ongoing engagement with Torontonians.

“We look forward to presenting our vision for Toronto’s waterfront and to continuing conversations with residents to make sure we get this right,” Rang said.