In 2017, municipal organizations in Toronto tapped Google’s sister company Sidewalk Labs to redevelop a disused waterfront industrial district as a high-tech prototype for the “smarter, greener, more inclusive cities” of tomorrow. But within three years the deal had collapsed.
Journalist Brian Barth says the Sidewalk fiasco symbolizes the contrast between Silicon Valley’s hard-charging, individualist, libertarian ethos and a Canadian business style that emphasizes collaboration, respect, and social responsibility. In this edition of Deep Tech, Barth talks about the tensions that led to Sidewalk Labs’ departure and the strategies Canadian CEOs are following to build a more open and inclusive tech sector.
Listen to the podcast here: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/07/29/1005708/canadas-narwhals-skewer-silicon-valleys-unicorns/?truid=33b587ecf0755237a213721d72ba90e8&utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_term=subs&utm_content=07-29-2020