Sidewalk Toronto

The Sidewalk Toronto project aimed to advance a new model of inclusive urban development along Toronto's eastern waterfront, striving for the highest levels of sustainability, economic opportunity, housing affordability, and new mobility.

The Sidewalk Labs proposal for the project reflected 18 months of public consultation that reached more than 21,000 Torontonians in person, as well as robust engagement with Waterfront Toronto, Indigenous communities, and public officials at all three levels of government.

The project ended in May 2020 due to the unprecedented economic uncertainty brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the ideas generated to help cities tackle their toughest challenges live on in our work. Read more about our decision to end the project below.

Read Our Statement

Priority Outcomes

Waterfront Toronto established five ambitious priority outcomes for the project, and Sidewalk Labs responded with a proposal that would have delivered significant quality-of-life benefits.

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Public Engagement

The Sidewalk Toronto project solicited an unprecedented level of public feedback to help shape the plan.

Project History

Sidewalk Toronto FAQs

What was the “Master Innovation and Development Plan”?

Toronto’s eastern waterfront presents Waterfront Toronto, the City of Toronto, the governments of Ontario and Canada, and the people of Toronto with an extraordinary opportunity to shape the city’s future and provide a global model for inclusive urban growth. The Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP) was a comprehensive proposal for how to realize that potential. Sidewalk Labs submitted the MIDP for consideration as a work-in-progress meant to be refined by further consultation.

Why did Sidewalk Labs submit this plan?

In March 2017, Waterfront Toronto released a Request for Proposals (RFP) that sought, among other things, to establish "a globally-significant community" along the eastern waterfront to "showcase advanced technologies, building materials, sustainable practices and innovative business models that demonstrate pragmatic solutions toward climate positive urban development.” Sidewalk Labs was selected by Waterfront Toronto as its Innovation and Funding Partner, which earned Sidewalk Labs the right to develop the MIDP, at its own expense, for consideration by Waterfront Toronto and governments.

Did the plan reflect public feedback?

Lots! The MIDP reflected 18 months of public consultation that reached more than 21,000 Torontonians in person (including more than 11,000 visitors to Sidewalk Labs’ Toronto-based workshop, 307) during a robust public engagement program. Project members also held hundreds of one-on-one or small group meetings — including concerted outreach to the business, academic, nonprofit, and institutional sectors — and engaged extensively with Waterfront Toronto, Indigenous communities, and public officials at all three levels of government.

Did Sidewalk Labs plan to conduct surveillance or sell personal information?

No. None of the proposals for the Sidewalk Toronto project included any form of individual surveillance, and Sidewalk Labs committed that it would not sell personal information to third parties or use it for advertising purposes as part of the project. The MIDP originally proposed that an independent, government-sanctioned entity oversee data collection and use in the project area by all parties, including Sidewalk Labs. The subsequent Digital Innovation Appendix established that Waterfront Toronto, with its government stakeholders, would take the lead data on data governance for the project.