Sidewalk Talk
Where technologists and urbanists discuss the future of cities. The official blog of Sidewalk Labs.
Innovation spotlight: A walking cane that uses driverless car tech
Innovation spotlight: A walking cane that uses driverless car tech
Stanford engineers have designed a prototype called the Augmented Cane to “improve independence for people with impaired vision.”
The troubling tie between bigger cars and pedestrian deaths
The troubling tie between bigger cars and pedestrian deaths
A new study estimates that replacing large vehicles with standard ones would have saved more than 8,100 lives since 2000. What can be done?
The view from your office window — what’s it worth?
The view from your office window — what’s it worth?
A new study puts the rental premium of view access at about 6 percent, guiding commercial developers and city policy alike.
Can building design reduce opposition to housing density?
Can building design reduce opposition to housing density?
A new study found several design tweaks that made suburban residents more likely to accept denser development — to a point.
The latest evidence that city neighborhoods impact personal health
The latest evidence that city neighborhoods impact personal health
A new study finds that children who moved away from high-poverty urban areas had far lower hospital rates for asthma and mental health…
Why tech triumphs alone aren’t enough to help cities
Why tech triumphs alone aren’t enough to help cities
The historical case of New York City’s Croton Aqueduct reminds us why innovative infrastructure needs innovative policy.
An update from the Sidewalk Labs real estate development team
An update from the Sidewalk Labs real estate development team
We’re working with developers across the U.S. to create more sustainable, innovative, and equitable projects.
Cities use long-ago data to plan far-away futures. Let’s fix that
Cities use long-ago data to plan far-away futures. Let’s fix that
A Sidewalk Talk Q&A with Replica CEO Nick Bowden.
PMX 15, Part 2: How to manufacture high-design, low-carbon timber buildings
PMX 15, Part 2: How to manufacture high-design, low-carbon timber buildings
In the second PMX 15 post, we describe how we preserved production efficiency and sustainability without sacrificing a building’s beauty.
PMX 15, Part 1: How to design a timber building to code in a seismic region
PMX 15, Part 1: How to design a timber building to code in a seismic region
In the first part of our PMX 15 series, we describe the design choices that would help our timber building withstand a major earthquake.
Introducing PMX 15: Our model for a mid-rise timber building
Introducing PMX 15: Our model for a mid-rise timber building
This two-part blog series unpacks key findings for a 15-story mass timber model based in Seattle.
Introducing Pebble: A low-cost way to manage parking and curbs
Introducing Pebble: A low-cost way to manage parking and curbs
Real-time insights can help garage and lot operators, real estate developers, and municipal agencies make the most of existing parking…
A new care model for those that need it most
A new care model for those that need it most
A Sidewalk Talk Q&A with Cityblock Health’s Co-Founder and President, Dr. Toyin Ajayi
The future of curb space is about much more than parking
The future of curb space is about much more than parking
A Sidewalk Talk Q&A with Coord CEO Stephen Smyth.
Getting the carbon out of construction
Getting the carbon out of construction
Cities have made great strides lowering energy consumption in new buildings. Vancouver is taking the next step: reducing embodied…
The post-Covid need for transformable living space
The post-Covid need for transformable living space
A Sidewalk Talk Q&A with Ori CEO Hasier Larrea
The future of roads is all about safety
The future of roads is all about safety
A Sidewalk Talk Q&A with Cavnue Chief Safety Officer Nicole Neeson