As you might have heard, Sidewalk Labs became a part of Google at the beginning of 2022. So City of the Future has been on hiatus...BUT I’m still creating podcasts that I think CotF listeners would like. And I’d like to share them with you all! Urban Roots. If you enjoyed City of the Future season 4, which was all about equitable development, then you should definitely check out Urban Roots. We not only tell the histories of women and people of color that you probably don’t know, we also...

E-S-G. Environmental, Social, Governance. It’s a framework investors use to help them decide whether or not to put money into a company. Over the last 20 years, investors have increasingly embraced the “E," and, since the events of 2020, the “S.” This pivot has huge implications for real estate, as investors are eager to lend capital to projects with social and racial impact. But what does the "S" mean for real estate? Our season finale explores just that question. Transcript: https://bit.ly/

In the early 20th century, many U.S. factories were located in urban cores, where workers could easily access their jobs. But the benefit of proximity also meant workers — especially low-income folks and people of color — lived near loud, polluting factories. But what if we could bring the benefits of industry back to cities, without the drawbacks? A new generation of cleaner, greener manufacturing is showing the way. Read the link-rich transcript at https://bit.ly/3rSbrys

As technology has become core to our economy, big coastal cities like Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle have become tech innovation ecosystems, attracting talented workers, startups, and investment capital. But the resources and opportunities haven't been shared equitably. In this episode, we explore a new generation of innovation ecosystems that could not only spark economic growth, but offset some of the urban development approaches that have left too many neighborhoods behind.

What if, instead of being negatively impacted by a neighborhood's growth, residents could benefit from it instead? In this episode, we explore “neighborhood REITS,” a model that helps community members invest in local development projects. This innovative approach could help folks participate in the upsides of development, and even potentially begin to redress some of the racial inequities that have been baked into our housing system for decades. Read the link-rich transcript at...

Cities across the U.S. are suffering from dire housing crises. Housing supply is low, prices are high, and wages and income aren't keeping up. Many struggle to make rent, let alone save for a home. So in this episode, we’re looking at new economic models that could help renters, particularly immigrants and new arrivals, become home- or partial building owners — and have the opportunity to access multi-generational wealth as a result. Read the link-rich transcript at https://bit.ly/3DarHxB

2020 made a lot of people ask: “How am I impacting the world?” Developers are no exception. Today, the industry is at a tipping point, and many are asking themselves how they can do better — while still making money. This season of City of the Future will be about the ideas and innovations that could lead to more equitable development. But before we can understand how development could become more inclusive tomorrow, we have to understand how it works today. Transcript at...

The pandemic has forced cities to reimagine streets so they can be better shared by all — from drivers, to bicyclists, to pedestrians, to curbside diners. But what if we could use design and technology to make our streets even more flexible? So they could change use according to the season, the week, even the hour? In our season finale, we explore a future where streets can do just that — and better respond to all of our needs. Read the link-rich transcript at https://bit.ly/33ALZAx

For about a century, architects and developers have dreamed of the promise of factory-based construction. But, in North America at least, almost every attempt to revolutionize this industry has failed. But now, thanks to innovations in design, materials, and machinery — and a green wave taking over the industry — factory-based construction could be an idea whose time has finally come. Read the link-rich transcript on our Medium page at https://bit.ly/2UJrfSa

In an era of remote work, when people can work from anywhere, where will they choose to live? And what can cities do to set themselves apart from the competition? In this episode, we look at the ways remote work could change not just the way we live in cities — but which cities we live in, too. Read the link-rich transcript on our Medium page at https://bit.ly/3jEI0ba

Could generative design reveal better designs for buildings, neighborhoods, districts — showing us options we didn’t even know were possible? And, in the future, could this new emerging field even empower urban development teams to create better, more human cities? Read the link-rich transcript on our Medium page at https://bit.ly/2HcTq8s

If we’re serious about addressing climate change, we’ll need to address one of our biggest carbon emitters: buildings. And not just the new, shiny skyscrapers, but ALL buildings, old and new, big and small. This episode, we’re exploring an idea that could make our cities more sustainable and even more just. Energy-efficient buildings. To see images and videos of topics discussed in this episode, read the transcript on our Medium page at https://bit.ly/2HNgo6G

Hi City of the Future listeners! We've been hard at work behind the scenes, and we're so excited to share a little sneak peek of season three. Stay tuned — and you'll hear more from us in the fall! 

Hi, City of the Future listeners! Remember when we asked if anyone would like to listen to a pilot of a new podcast? Well good news — that podcast launches today!  It’s called the Sidewalk Weekly, and it's a light-hearted chat show that provides your weekly dose of urban tech news. We’ll do interviews, we’ll play games, we’ll make some bad jokes, and hopefully set you off into your weekend smiling.  This is our pilot episode from last week. If you like what you hear, then you can head to...

Hi City of the Future listeners! In between seasons, we've been working on a new podcast idea. (Don't worry, CotF isn't going anywhere!) We'd love to know what you think about this potential new show. If you're interested in listening to the 20-minute pilot  and providing your feedback, please fill out this form: http://bit.ly/2U7PScp  

Buildings today are sealed, hermetic structures that never move and never change. But new technologies and materials are allowing our buildings to move, evolve, and even respond — not only to their environments, but to us, too. We talk to Sidewalk Labs' Jesse Shapins, engineer Goncalo Pedro, author Sharon Francis, and renowned architect Liz Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro. For a link-rich transcript of this episode, visit http://bit.ly/cotfep10

For a sustainable future, we need to turn away from fossil fuels and turn towards electricity. But to electrify everything — our cars, our buildings, our entire neighborhoods — we'll need to make some big changes first. We talk to Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, and Sidewalk Labs' director of sustainability Charlotte Matthews. For a link-rich transcript of this episode, visit http://bit.ly/cotfep9

Getting around cities today can be challenging, and new modes are appearing daily, adding to the confusion. But what if mobility were frictionless, easy  —  maybe even fun? In this episode, Horace Dediu talks micro-mobility; Bibiana McHugh tells the stories of GTFS and OpenTrip Planner; Sampo Hietanen explains Mobility as a Service (MaaS); and Sidewalk Labs' Corinna Li imagines what mobility could be like in the city of the future. For a link-rich transcript of this episode, visit...

Vacant storefronts have become pervasive. Why? And how can we help retailers, and community spaces, thrive? In this episode, we explore innovations that could help address the retail crisis — and embed flexibility and vibrancy into our cities' ground floors. For a link-rich transcript of this episode, visit http://bit.ly/cotfep7 On October 9th in Boston Sidewalk Labs' Vanessa Quirk and Carrie Denning Jackson will be speaking on this topic at Culture House. Tickets at http://bit.ly/2lrRC0X

We're in a housing crisis. Could affordability by design be part of the solution? In this episode we look at trends in housing — from unit design to co-living — and ask how the private sector can do more to help create more choice and affordability in cities. This episode features Ori CEO Hasier Larrea, nArchitects' Eric Bunge, Starcity CEO Jon Dishotsky, and Sidewalk Labs' Annie Koo. For a link-rich transcript, visit http://bit.ly/cotfep6

Today, Sidewalk Labs’ proposal for Toronto, the Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP), will be released to the public. And because a lot of the innovations in the MIDP are episode topics that we’ll be exploring in Season 2, we figured we’d drop a bonus episode with a special guest: Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff.

For our first live show, co-host Vanessa Quirk moderates a discussion with some of the familiar voices from season 1: Director of Buildings Innovation Karim Khalifa; Director of Mobility for Streets Willa Ng; and Associate Director of Sustainability Emily Kildow. We talk about everything from fire testing timber to congestion pricing to pneumatic tubes. Thanks to City Farm Presents for having City of the Future at the festival. 

Simple as it may seem, recycling properly is really hard — and our misguided attempts are actually harming the planet more than helping. But what if we could be "nudged" to recycle better? In this episode, we explore how behavioral science — and computer vision — could help us help our planet.

In the future, your package could find its way to you — practically on its own.