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Toronto to get a high-tech waterfront neighbourhood

Toronto has grown so much over the last 10 years. All it takes is a quick scan of the city skyline to see the massive influx of construction across the downtown core. The city is definitely still under development and because of this there is an increased cost of living and looming growth challenges.

Google’s sister company, Sidewalk Labs, in collaboration with Waterfront Toronto and the Canadian federal government, announced the development of an innovative city hub in Toronto, coined Quayside. The announcement was made on Tuesday at Corus Quay to a crowd that included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Kathleen Wynne, and Toronto Mayor John Tory.

There will be 800 acres of land available for revitalization in the eastern waterfront area. This hub will be the first high-tech neighbourhood in the city, and a model of a city that reflects the future.

Quayside will be a neighbourhood that combines people, culture, environment, and technology to help people thrive. Sidewalk Labs, since their launch in 2015, expressed their desire to create a modern community hub in an international city. The aim is to use technology as a tool to address urban living challenges, resulting in a more comfortable space for residents in the city. The ‘smart’ neighbourhood will have an impact on the future of Toronto as it will generate global interest and improve economic growth and development.

“We looked all over the world for the perfect place to bring this vision to life, and we found it here in Toronto.” Said Dan Doctoroff, the CEO of  Sidewalk Labs to a packed audience.

One of the most important aspects that Quayside will provide is an increase in jobs, as well as an increase in tech talent. Creative and innovative minds will have an opportunity to work and even live in a community that matches their skills. In getting this project underway, Sidewalk Labs also reached out to many residents across the GTA to get input and feedback on the community development idea. Now that Quayside will be a reality, starting Nov. 1 , Sidewalk Labs will spend approximately $50 million to have a yearlong discussion, consisting of public meetings, with residents, universities, and the government on how the project should unfold.

 

Sidewalk Labs also says they hope to have a blueprint on what the proposed neighbourhood would look like by the end of the year. Google Canada will also shift its headquarters to this waterfront neighbourhood. This kind of high- tech community will attract innovation and design concepts that should set Toronto apart from other cities in the world.

The Quayside is expected to be a community focused on the overall goal of people thriving. A place to feel comfortable  and grow. While all the specifics of the development remain unclear at this time, Sidewalk Labs gave a few examples of what people can expect, such as smart robots that clean the streets or self- driving transit, which is already being tested in other parts of the world.

How excited are you to see this unfold in our city? Comment below

 

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Sustainability

Reality check: millennials are poor and house prices are rising

As a millennial, I enjoy avocado toast and expensive coffees daily and travel to Europe on my weekends instead of buying my luxury home.

NOT.

In reality, I am living in a world where two-ply toilet paper is a treat, scrounging for change for transit causes cold sweats, and an avocado is a treat I get once a year in my Christmas stocking. In other words, millennials are poor and house prices are rising. Seeing a unicorn walk down the street is more likely than being able to afford a decent home in the current real estate market.

Recently, Australian real estate millionaire Tim Gurner revealed on Australia’s 60 minutes that he believes the younger generation is wasting their cash on frivolous snacks instead of investing in future homes. This has caused international outrage, with several young people pointing out the obvious — no amount of avocado toast is going to make up for the fact that millennials are being priced out of almost everything that previous generations enjoyed.

It is common fact that employment is not plentiful, with baby boomers hanging on to their jobs, and technology wiping out the rest. University and college have become essential in this job market and this leaves millennials with overwhelming student debt on top of everything else. Wages have stagnated as a result, creating a society where working for minimum wage with a degree is the norm. Healthcare coverage, salary jobs, and benefits are the childhood dreams of Narnia, and working long hard hours is standard.

Interestingly, Gurner, who incited the wave of indignant avocado toast hatred worldwide, happens to be 34. He falls within the age range of a millennial, and yet feels justified as a classic ‘one percenter’ to provide the obvious reasons why the rest of the world can’t be like him. If anything, Gurner should have to mail a piece of 19 dollar avocado toast to every millennial he has disrespected.

While I wait for my apology, I think I might go to the coffee shop and buy my daily avocado toast. Women’s Post looks forward to seeing you in Europe on the weekend fellow millennials. Don’t forget your two-ply!

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