Monday, October 27, 2025

Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs Scraps Its Ambitious Toronto Project

The Google sibling envisioned a tech-enabled and eco-friendly neighborhood. But residents rebelled over plans to collect and use their data, among other things.

Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs Scraps Its Ambitious Toronto Project

When Google sibling Sidewalk Labs announced in 2017 a $50 million investment into a project to redevelop a portion of Toronto’s waterfront, it seemed...

As Cities Reopen, Outdoor Dining May Provide a Lifeline

Restaurants are anxious to expand beyond takeout, and some researchers believe open-air transmission of the coronavirus is rare.

As Cities Reopen, Outdoor Dining May Provide a Lifeline

The virus can be spread from droplets that an infected person coughs or sneezes, but researchers still aren’t sure how infectious those droplets are....

Covid-19 Spurs a Road Repair Boom—and Threatens a Bust

Empty highways clear the way for speedier construction projects, but loss of fuel taxes could bring them to a halt.

Covid-19 Spurs a Road Repair Boom—and Threatens a Bust

Until a few weeks ago, the California Department of Transportation was girding itself for a summer disaster. Come July, it was planning to shut...

Delivery Robots Aren't Ready—When They Could Be Needed Most

Starship and others building robots for sidewalks have faced criticism for operating there, where they compete with pedestrians and people in wheelchairs for space....

Delivery Robots Aren’t Ready—When They Could Be Needed Most

Americans choosing to —or forced to—stay inside during the Covid-19 pandemic are leaning heavily on food delivery. Instacart sales soared 98 percent, and Amazon...

Hospitals Quickly Reshape to Treat Covid-19 Patients

Until mid-March, the emergency room entrance at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, looked much like the entrance to other ERs: an illuminated red...

The Pandemic Could Be an Opportunity to Remake Cities

Last Tuesday, a Gemballa Mirage GT barrelled into a series of parked cars on a Manhattan street. The driver fled and was arrested. And...

Latest articles

Ahead of COP30, The Spotlight is on More Nature-Based Solutions for Cities

It is no secret that cities are responsible for a large share of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and urban transport is one of...

A Turning Point for Mexico’s Vehicle Standards — and Its Climate

Three leading civil society organizations — ITDP Mexico, the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), and El Poder del Consumidor (EPC) — recently joined together...

Lessons from Jinan, China’s Electric Transformation

In recent years, China has emerged as a global leader in public transport electrification. From megacities like Shenzhen and Beijing to provincial capitals, the...

How to Keep SUVs Out of Emerging Economies

Car-centric transportation systems have seriously damaged the environment, safety, and livability of cities around the world. Fossil-fuel-based passenger transport is a major contributor to...