Wednesday, September 3, 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...

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Why More National Action is Needed for Indonesia’s E-Bus Transition

Six years after Indonesia set a national commitment to promote Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), cities across the country have begun adopting electric buses. Jakarta...

Rethinking Transport Infrastructure Investments Through the Lens of ‘Bikenomics’

It is no secret that countries around the world are facing a period of economic uncertainty. Sudden demands for defense spending, customs tariffs, and...

Brazil is Primed to Electrify a Huge Number of Public Buses By 2030

Ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, at the end of 2025, it is essential to elevate the discussion on energy transitions and see more...

This Chinese City Is Pedaling Ahead with Better Cycling Infrastructure

Guangzhou, one of China’s largest cities and the capital of the southern province of Guangdong, is experiencing rapid growth and development as a major...