Today, the Alphabet subsidiary launched CommonSpaces, an app where park operators and community members can enter their observations of public spaces like parks—such as which areas people tend to gather in or avoid—with the goal of collecting data on how people use them. The app was piloted at the RV Burgess Park in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood over the fall of 2018. (TechCrunch)

Talking point: Sidewalk Labs was quick to explain its privacy parameters. In adherence with the Privacy By Design framework—created in the 1990s by privacy expert Ann Cavoukian, who was also Sidewalk’s former adviser—it will not be collecting personal information about bystanders who are observed as part of a survey on the app. In a blog post, Sidewalk Labs said the pilot demonstrated the benefits of user-centric technology in simplifying data collection, and the value of community participation in planning “high-tech” solutions. Sidewalk could use the data to inform its future projects and developments, including its smart-city development on Toronto’s waterfront.