Introducing Sidewalk Toronto Buzzword Bingo
If Sidewalk Labs is going to read from a list of buzzwords, so can the residents of Toronto.
In their hasty attempts to remain relevant despite mounting opposition, Sidewalk Labs (with tacit support of Waterfront Toronto) have heavily relied on a well rehearsed script consisting of meaningless jargon, technocratic catchphrases and feel-good rhetoric to answer key questions about their role in building Toronto’s waterfront. The Sidewalk Labs website is littered with a cacophony of soaring buzzwords about how their company mission is to “blend people-centered urban design with cutting-edge technology to achieve new standards of sustainability, affordability, mobility, and economic opportunity”.
As we head into the second public meeting on May 3, will we get real answers on Sidewalk Labs’ business model, data privacy plans or democratic governance? Probably not, but we can be sure to get more of this buzzword list — which might make for some useful side entertainment.
