I don't really see much innovation in their plan beyond solutions in search of a problem.
What they really want is the data about citizens, I don't see that there's anything to see in this beyond that.
Wood/timber in commercial buildings and condos.
Public awnings (snow and rain suck).
Better transit to new neighbourhoods, outside the "core".
It's nothing mind blowingly bleeding edge, but it's an improvement over current practices. I see nothing committing them to any of this though, so who knows what gets cost engineered out of the project.
But you're right. It's misdirection. They want more data, and to establish a precedent.
Google is a highly profitable company with tons of smart engineering talent, that can put the time and effort into planning future projects like this. I honestly believe they have good intentions. I also honestly believe that corporate interests will win in the end and this wouldn't turn out well in 20 years.
However the awnings will do nothing to prevent windblown snow from accumulating.
I mean if they did, then you'd see Torontonians install all kinds of non IOT awnings for this purpose.
I also hear that they will install special pavers that will be heated to melt ice/snow, but that will be very expensive energy wise.
None of it seems practical.
I appreciate that they are proposing better transit connections, but the TTC has a stranglehold on that kind of thing in this city, and I don't see how they are going to get past that.
Also it's a bit patronizing to the local residents to assume that, just because they are Google, that they will immediately have better insights into solving local problems.
It reminds me a bit of that form for telling people why their anti spam idea would never work.¹ They should have one for IOT projects too.
The core problem with their entire proposal, is that they are proposing technical solutions to political problems.
And awnings aren't a replacement for good indoor walkways. Shitty weather is shitty weather. But they're a huge benefit on sidewalks, for the 90% of rain/snow that isn't shitty weather. I live in a build that has these along the entire block and it's a godsend.
But mass timber / cross-laminated timber is actually projected to be an ideal future building material. Even for high rises. It's not folksy. Almost every architect I've talked to would love to build a mid/high rise with it.
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/mass-timber-101-unders... https://globalnews.ca/news/4957218/canada-mass-timber-high-r...
I didn't mean 'folksy' as an insult. I was just surprised that google would propose a material outside the usual brutalist design palette (concrete, glass, steel, etc...)
> Holland also calls its heating system a money-saver, saying it has reduced slips and falls, requires no snow removal, salt or sand, and has extended pavement life.
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/01/30/a-new-canadian-city-f...
And yes, they might save money on snow removal. Downtown Toronto though, I don't see it. Even if 3 blocks have heated sidewalks, the sidewalk plow has to drive over them to reach the next segment. Those costs wouldn't decrease.
Saving on salting and sidewalk damage from freeze/thaw could be impactful.
But the cost of digging up sidewalks (which happens _all the time_) would increase significantly. Then there's the added expenses of maintenance - leaky pipes that requiring digging up the sidewalk.
The installation and maintenance requires skilled labour - union plumbers. Installing concrete sidewalks and plowing requires much lower wages.
Overall, the article makes no solid argument for it saving money, and does nothing more than speculate it could be cost saving. Where's the actual numbers from other cities who have implemented this?
Far as I'm concerned, if this happens it becomes the duty of every person to destroy these sensors and destroy the ability to deploy new ones.