Dan Doctoroff and Stephen Diamond took the stage to discuss the next steps in the controversial smart-city project, including the ongoing review of the over 160 innovations that Sidewalk Labs proposed and future public consultations. Diamond said he hoped that by 2021, all parties will have agreed to move forward with the project. The next major deadline is March 31, 2020, by which point the partnership will end if Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs can’t agree on a development plan. (The Logic)
Talking point: It’s the first time the two have addressed the public side by side since they reached an agreement on a number of issues that were holding back the project, such as Waterfront Toronto’s desire to restrict development to a 12-acre site. Diamond addressed that tension, joking, “A couple people asked me if Dan and I were going to arm wrestle.” However, the two were in agreement on most of the topics discussed, such as the need for transit on the waterfront, the importance of engaging all three levels of government and encouraging the involvement of Canadian companies in the project.