In 2017, urban innovation Sidewalk Labs (like Google, founded by Alphabet) announced its intention to build an exemplary 4.86 hectare smart city in Toronto's eastern coastal area. Nearby, on the island of Villiers, which is being created now, the Canadian headquarters of Google will be erected (its area will reach 55.7 - 92.9 thousand m2); Note that the island was partially filled up in the swampy mouth of the Don River at the beginning of the last century and since then has managed to be a zone of hazardous industries.
The shore of Lake Ontario within the Toronto area reaches almost 50 km in length. They started talking about its transformation from an industrial zone into an area of mixed development and providing citizens with access to water in the 1970s, and active actions began in the 21st century. The Keeside area, which Sidewalk Labs is engaged in, should not only become environmentally friendly and resource-efficient, convenient for living and working, but also socially oriented: 20% of apartments will be affordable (including 5% - "deep accessibility", that is, for the poorest citizens), and up to 20% will be calculated on average income and will be sold below market value (up to 15% - affordable rent, and 5% - fractional ownership). Another 5% are coliving housing for singles, families and the elderly.
The program consists of 3,000 apartments (5,000 residents) and offices and commercial space for 3,900 employees. Public areas connect the city with water, it is planned to bring a light metro line there, to build an elementary school.
All buildings are planned to be erected from cross-laminated timber and other wood-based materials; a set of typical parts for assembly was developed by the famous Canadian specialist in such construction, Michael Green. These and other building materials will meet the Cradle to Cradle standard. A smart energy system will include solar panels, electrochemical batteries for energy storage, and more. Recycling will cover up to 80% of the total, compared with 26%, the average for Toronto apartment buildings. Heating will be provided by geothermal pumps, waste heat and other clean sources. Rainwater will be collected and retained through green infrastructure in public spaces. Modular paving elements make it easy to carry out any repairs and other infrastructural work under its surface.
Sidewalk Labs plans to collect all kinds of data on the functioning of Keyside, remove any personal component from it and then publish; this data will allow to effectively manage the complex, including by adjusting the width of the pedestrian and car spaces in order to avoid "traffic jams" here and there. All types of access to the network will be provided for residents and employees, the area, including public areas, will be covered with wi-fi and 5G mobile Internet.
The ground level infrastructure, including the first floors, is designed to be modular and flexible. The facades can be raised in case of good weather, there are options for protecting passers-by from rain. Cars and pedestrians are not separated by a side stone in the interests of easy transformation of the territory. All principles of a barrier-free environment are followed. Delivery of goods and garbage removal is carried out by robots through underground tunnels.
View the complete Sidewalk Labs business proposal here. Despite the described harmony, it has already caused concern for Canadian politicians at the local and national level: the current agreements between the city and the company concern only 4.5 hectares, but the proposal included plans to develop 141.6 hectares around, which were not discussed. Sidewalk Labs, however, says this is just an example of how Keeside will catalyze coastal regeneration in Toronto.
