4.5 Welcoming of minorities efficient energy management system could help to reduce emissions while ensuring comfort, safety, and durability of built Despite Canada’s global reputation for inclusion, many of infrastructure. the country’s economic sectors fall short on diversifying their workforce, and the tech sector is no exception. “A 2017 5.2 Creating low-energy buildings survey of nine hundred Canadian tech firms found that women occupy just 5 percent of CEO roles and 13 percent of executive Sidewalk Labs estimated that up to 90 percent of Ontario’s positions. A 2018 study of Toronto’s tech community by Mars power was GHG free in 2019. This figure could be explained found that nearly two-thirds of AfrcnCandaian esodetsia rpn n by Ontario’s elimination of coal-fired power generation and reported experiencing discriminaiton a jt their obs”(Sdiewalk the province’s other policies aiming to promote sustainable Labs, 2017a: 452).25 development. Indeed, Toronto aims to expand electrification and improve energy efficiency, targeting a 65 percent decrease To recognize and honor the vibrant diversity of Toronto, Sidewalk in GHG emissions by 2030 (Sidewalk Labs, 2017). Labs created an inclusion program based on five main pillars: •Diversity: The Sidewalk project aimed to reflect Toronto’s According to Sidewalk, the first step toward achieving a values around diversity, “where people of all ages, abilities, climate-positive community is to reduce buildings’ energy incomes, and backgrounds can thrive and belong” (Sidewalk consumption. That approach would consist of implementing a Labs, 2017); rigorous energy-efficient building design standard and applying •Accessibility: Sidewalk Labs aimed to prioritize accessibility it consistently to improve construction quality and existing of transportation, services, and opportunities to ensure infrastructure. that the IDEA District would be accessible for all, including workers and visitors; Sidewalk was also inspired by the passive house model. The •Affordability: Sidewalk Labs included options for cheaper housing standards that this model proposes mostly focus on thermal for lower-income households, as well as amenities that could bridging and insulation, indoor air quality, balanced ventilation, have helped people of all income levels to access comfortable and unconditioned shared spaces. Passive building design housing and meet their daily needs (Sidewalk Labs, 2017a: 92-97, consists of using substantial wall insulation, airtight exteriors, 246, & 257; Sidewalk Labs, 2017b: 262 & 277); and high-quality windows for winter conditions to maintain a •Equity of Opportunity: Sidewalk Labs wanted to work to ensure consistent interior temperature (Sidewalk Labs, 2017a: 192 access to equal opportunity and participation for everyone & 200). Ventilation systems circulate fresh, filtered air from (Sidewalk Labs, 2017a: 86; Sidewalk Labs, 2017b: 16); the outside and recover heat from older, stale air that is then •Inclusion: Sidewalk Labs aimed to design neighborhoods removed. Low-load buildings could reduce GHG emissions by that everyone could access by focusing on economic, social, up to 15 percent (that is, 95,500 Teq CO) (Sidewalk Labs, 2017b:2 and cultural infrastructure, which can help to forge an 352). This reduction could be as impactful as removing more than inclusive community that “creates a sense of belonging” twenty thousand cars from the road (Sidewalk Labs, 2017b: 307). (Sidewalk Labs, 2017a: 83; Sidewalk Labs, 2017b: 193). 5.3 Optimizing buildings’ energy systems 5. Housing and energy In addition to embracing passive house design, Sidewalk Labs aimed 5.1 A way to fight climate change to develop a tool called Perform, which, the firm hoped, would lead to a more effective enforcement of energy targets (Sidewalk Labs, Cities are at the forefront of the climate change battle. In 2017a: 212). This application would have incorporated variables Toronto, Sidewalk Labs aimed to develop a project where the such as occupancy, tenant type, and weather, creating a dynamic established public policy goal could be to achieve a positive target for use intensity (Sidewalk Labs, 2017a: 395). The tool would climate community. The firm wanted to chart a path forward have been able to detect whether or not a building was occupied for other large-scale urban development. in the evening and then adapted energy consumption accordingly (Sidewalk Labs, 2017b: 307 & 309). Early on in its work in Toronto, Sidewalk Labs looked at energy management in other cities to understand where the most Current building management systems tend to struggle to significant proportion of emissions come from and how an coordinate every system in a building. In fact, one system (25) Stacy Lee Kong (August 11, 2020). Eight ways to improve inclusivity in the workplace. https://marsdd.com/news/8-ways-to-improve-inclusivity-in-the-workplace/ https://marsdd.com/magazine/this-is-torontos-tech-community-coming-together-to-save-main-street-businesses-and-artists/ 182 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021