Activists kicked Amazon’s HQ2 out of New York City. They ran Google’s new campus out of Berlin. Now, in Toronto, #BlockSidewalk wants to send Google – and their new “smart city” packing. As the techlash is slowly becoming organized, the battle against Big Tech has emerged as the new front in the fight for the right to the city.
It was the most unusual town hall Toronto had seen in years. Even after the venue was moved to a 498-seat theatre to accommodate demand, registration filled up almost a week in advance and the rush lineup stretched around the corner. Yes, a rush lineup. For a community town hall. At the first Sidewalk Toronto Community Town Hall on November 1, 2017, the municipal was sexy again.
Inside, a veritable who’s who of Toronto’s urbanist, policy wonk, political, innovation, tech, and start-up scenes milled about. There was a hum of excitement as everyone prepared to hear about Sidewalk Labs’ vision for “the neighbourhood of the future.” And outside the glass walls of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, activists from Toronto ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, a national organization of low- and moderate-income families) chanted slogans in support of affordable housing.
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Denne historien er fra July/August 2019-utgaven av Briarpatch.
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PLATFORMS FOR PEOPLE, NOT PROFIT
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ORGANIZING THROUGH LOSS IN THE HEART OF OIL COUNTRY
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A NEW ERA FOR OLD CROW
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Milking Prison Labour
Canada’s prison farms are being reopened. But when prisoners will be paid pennies a day, and the fruits of their labour will likely be exported for profit, there’s little to celebrate.
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In mainstream media, labour journalism has been replaced by financial reporting and business sections. But journalism students are raising the labour beat from the grave.
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Corporate media owners are killing local newspapers – which is making it impossible for everyday people to understand the on-the-ground impacts of the climate crisis
