Google will focus on tackling a range of urban issues faced by growing cities with its new initiative Sidewalk Labs, which will develop tech designed to improve city life.Making transportation more efficient and reducing energy usage will be among the issues addressed by Sidewalk Labs, with Dan Doctoroff, former Bloomberg CEO and deputy mayor of economic development and rebuilding for the City of New York, to head up the venture.
Google describes Sidewalk Labs as an “urban innovation company that will develop technology at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds, with a focus on improving city life for residents, businesses and governments”.
Without disclosing Google’s investment in Sidewalk Labs, Google CEO Larry Page described it as “modest” in a web post, while comparing Sidewalk Labs with Google’s Google X research facility and Calico healthcare company.
“We are at the beginning of a historic transformation in cities,” Doctoroff commented in a statement announcing the initiative.
“At a time when the concerns about urban equity, costs, health and the environment are intensifying, unprecedented technological change is going to enable cities to be more efficient, responsive, flexible and resilient.
“We hope that Sidewalk will play a major role in developing technology products, platforms and advanced infrastructure that can be implemented at scale in cities around the world.”
