Quayside/Sidewalk Toronto

Review the January 24, 2018 City Staff report to Executive Committee on Sidewalk Toronto.

 

Quayside is a 12 acre (4.8 Ha) parcel of land on Toronto’s Waterfront, located at Queens Quay East and Parliament Street.

In its capacity as the City’s ‘one window’ for waterfront revitalization, the City of Toronto Waterfront Secretariat facilitates and coordinates the evaluation of plans and proposals for this site.

Waterfront Toronto has selected the firm Sidewalk Labs as their Funding and Innovation Partner for Quayside.  The organizations have named their joint effort “Sidewalk Toronto” and are preparing a “Master Innovation and Development Plan” (MIDP). The MIDP will be a plan for revitalizing Quayside, however, it will also make recommendations about new technologies and innovations that can be implemented as pilots in Quayside and in other parts of the city.

The MIDP will require approval from the Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs boards. If approved, the contents of the MIDP will be subject to numerous City approvals. The City will participate in the Sidewalk Toronto consultation process to ensure alignment with the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan and other approved City policies. The Waterfront Secretariat, together with other City divisions, will facilitate public feedback opportunities on behalf of the City. Developing a Resident’s Advisory Group on digital issues will be a component of the City of Toronto’s public feedback process.

QUAYSIDE OWNERSHIP MAP

Quayside Ownership Map

  • 12 acre district located along Queens Quay East, from Bonnycastle Street to the east of Parliament Street
  • Land is largely owned by Waterfront Toronto, though approximately 1.5 acres of small irregular-shaped parcels, including the Parliament Street right of way, are in municipal ownership. Ports Toronto and two private land owners also own portions of the project area.
  • The City’s planning framework for Quayside is a product of many years of community engagement and research. The Central Waterfront Secondary Plan, TO Core Downtown Plan, East Bayfront Precinct Plan, Keating Channel Precinct Plan, and applicable Zoning By-laws establish a planning framework for Quayside as a mixed-use, medium density district.
  • Quayside is envisioned as a sustainable and liveable district that will include affordable housing, family-sized residential units, a public park, community facilities, and public art.

Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs are currently engaged in consultations to inform their planning.  For information on these consultations please visit Waterfront Toronto’s Quayside project page.

In future, information about City of Toronto-led public feedback opportunities will be posted here.

On January 24, 2018, EX30.9 – Sidewalk Toronto – was presented to the Executive Committee for information. The following recommendation was adopted:

Investigate the feasibility of establishing a democratically representative residents’ advisory group with a responsibility to look after residents’ digital interests with the following goals:  

  • All data collection should be anonymous by default;
  • All data handling must comply with Ontario’s municipal privacy law and federal commercial privacy law;
  • All software which accesses Quayside data should be available under a free open source license in a public repository;
  • Basic digital services should be universally accessible and affordable to all Quayside Residents; and
  • The security of the data, software, and physical infrastructure should be maintained by sufficiently robust means.

 

Further information about the recruitment process and the Advisory Group Terms of Reference will be posted here when available.

Relevant City Initiatives