February 15, 2023
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COMMONS
Monopoly #14 – Where the Sidewalk Ends
The story behind what happened when Google, one of the world’s great tech monopolies, wanted to make a “smart city" in Toronto
Arshy Mann
Host & Producer, COMMONS
Jordan Cornish
Producer, COMMONS
Noor Azrieh
Associate Producer
Annette Ejiofor
Managing Editor, Podcasts

Google, one of the world’s great tech monopolies, wanted to make a “smart city,” full of sensors and robots and self-driving cars.

Toronto, one of the world’s most insecure cities, wanted a big tech firm to put it on the innovation map.

What resulted was not exactly a match made in heaven.

 

Featured in this episode: Josh O’Kane (Globe and Mail), Kurtis McBride

 

To learn more:

Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy by Josh O’Kane

“Sidewalk Labs document reveals company’s early vision for data collection, tax powers, criminal justice” by Tom Cardoso & Josh O’Kane in The Globe and Mail

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Athletic Greens

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