Sidewalk Labs

Design

The architects building Toronto’s past into its future

The firm Lebel & Bouliane has become known for adaptive reuse projects — like the new Sidewalk Toronto workspace, “307” — that make history an integral part of their designs.

Vanessa Quirk

5 May

Open-Source Tool

The Old Toronto map tool helps you explore the city through historical photos

The Old Toronto map tool helps you explore the city through old photos

Dan Vanderkam and Matt Breuer

3 Mar

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

N-1-1: The Rise (and Surprise) of Three-Digit City Services

The evolution of 911, 311, and other local numbers into digital services promises to make cities far more responsive.

12 Dec

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

Street Grids: A City’s Indelible Footprint

Far from a static layout, the grid creates the conditions for new travel modes, adaptable infrastructure, and sustainable growth.

12 Dec

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

Steam Engines: Giving Cities Industrial Might

Steam power brought industry, electricity, and opportunity into cities, but it also paved the way for fossil fuels to damage the planet.

10 Oct

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

Electric Lighting: Dawn of Urban Nightlife

Edison's incandescent bulb gave rise to profound new possibilities for work and play in cities.

9 Sep

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

Zoning: The Legal and Social Codes of Urban Planning

What began as a policy innovation to help organize cities has contributed to segregation and severe housing shortages.

9 Sep

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

Shipping Containers: A Big Box Full of Contradictions

Containerization transformed everything from the urban labor force to suburban shopping.

9 Sep

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

Traffic Signals: Catalyst of Car-Driven Cities

Traffic lights did make city intersections safer for cars, but they came at the expense of pedestrian freedom.

9 Sep

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

Elevators: How Cities Rose to the Occasion

Elevators proved to be a primary engine of urban density over the last century, boosting economies of scale for big cities and redefining urban life.

9 Sep

Urban history series

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

A Sidewalk Talk series that explores some of the major advances in urban technology, design, and policy across history — from Roman sewers to real-time transit.

Eric Jaffe

9 Sep

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Sidewalk Talk

Sidewalk Talk

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The architects building Toronto’s past into its future

The firm Lebel & Bouliane has become known for adaptive reuse projects — like the new Sidewalk Toronto workspace, “307” — that make history an integral part of their designs.

The Old Toronto map tool helps you explore the city through historical photos

The Old Toronto map tool helps you explore the city through old photos

N-1-1: The Rise (and Surprise) of Three-Digit City Services

The evolution of 911, 311, and other local numbers into digital services promises to make cities far more responsive.

Street Grids: A City’s Indelible Footprint

Far from a static layout, the grid creates the conditions for new travel modes, adaptable infrastructure, and sustainable growth.

Steam Engines: Giving Cities Industrial Might

Steam power brought industry, electricity, and opportunity into cities, but it also paved the way for fossil fuels to damage the planet.

Electric Lighting: Dawn of Urban Nightlife

Edison's incandescent bulb gave rise to profound new possibilities for work and play in cities.

Zoning: The Legal and Social Codes of Urban Planning

What began as a policy innovation to help organize cities has contributed to segregation and severe housing shortages.

Shipping Containers: A Big Box Full of Contradictions

Containerization transformed everything from the urban labor force to suburban shopping.

Traffic Signals: Catalyst of Car-Driven Cities

Traffic lights did make city intersections safer for cars, but they came at the expense of pedestrian freedom.

Elevators: How Cities Rose to the Occasion

Elevators proved to be a primary engine of urban density over the last century, boosting economies of scale for big cities and redefining urban life.

15 Innovations That Shaped the City

A Sidewalk Talk series that explores some of the major advances in urban technology, design, and policy across history — from Roman sewers to real-time transit.