Alphabet Aims Toronto for its Digital City Dream

Larry Page's dream of using technology to fix cities may come to Canada first. According to Bloomberg, Sidewalk Labs, the urban innovation unit of Page's Alphabet, has applied to develop a 12-acre strip in downtown Toronto, responding to a recent city agency request for proposals, according to two people familiar with the plans.

Last year, the company began talking openly about building a theoretical urban zone "from the internet up," with some of the same tools and principles that have fueled success at many tech companies. Before applying in Toronto, Sidewalk Labs discussed creating a district in Denver and Detroit with Alphabet executives, according to mentioned people.

In a speech last week at the Smart Cities NYC conference, Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff said the firm is exploring development of a "large-scale district." “I’m sure many of you are thinking this is a crazy idea," Doctoroff said. “We don’t think it’s crazy at all. People thought it was crazy when Google decided to connect all the world’s information. People thought it was crazy to think about the concept of a self-driving car.“

Canadian officials set up Waterfront Toronto, a public corporation designed to revitalize a 2,000-acre downtown plot, in 2001. Earlier this year, the agency requested proposals for part of that area: a new "community" called Quayside to be developed with a private "innovation and funding partner." Quayside would be "a testbed for emerging technologies, materials and processes that will address these challenges and advance solutions that can be replicated in cities worldwide," the city wrote in its invitation.

Formed two years ago, Sidewalk Labs was among the first independent units of Google before it turned into the Alphabet holding company. So far, the most visible project is LinkNYC, a network of ad-supported Wi-Fi kiosks in New York City run by Intersection, a Sidewalk Labs investment. But the vision extends well beyond corner kiosks and other "smart city" efforts that typically involve selling software and infrastructure to local agencies facing budget pressures.

Doctoroff has spoken often about how technology like autonomous transit, high-speed internet, embedded sensors and ride-sharing services could transform urban life. He's also hinted at tech's ability to overhaul zoning rules and control housing costs, a particular interest of Alphabet's Page.

Sidewalk Labs has discussed creating an entire micro-city or district that could showcase the company's ideas for urban planning. Doctoroff said the plans were still in the "feasibility" phase. The company representatives didn't spoke publicly about the business model, beyond ad revenue from the New York Wi-Fi kiosks.