MinnPost Picks: on Toronto’s Google neighborhood, digital democracy, and the Jackie Robinson of rodeo

“Google Is Building a City of the Future in Toronto. Would Anyone Want to Live There?” Politico MagazineImagine an entire neighborhood where residents use advanced technology to haul waste, clear snow-covered sidewalks and use crowdsourcing methods to approve or disapprove local block-party permits. Well, as chronicled in this Politico Magazine story, that’s no longer wishful thinking. A $50 million project that Google spearheads will soon establish “the world’s first neighborhood built from the internet up” in Toronto. There’s just one problem: Skeptics aren’t so sure if residents and visitors should allow the company to use their personal data to maintain the lifestyle. — Ibrahim Hirsi, workforce and immigration reporter“What vTaiwan Teaches Us About Digital Democracy,” Civic HallI was talking with an acquaintance who was inspired by some of the digital government work happening in Taiwan, about which I knew nothing, and they recommended I read this. vTaiwan is a government “innovation lab,” which is rather unremarkable, but it grew out of a three-week-long occupation of the country's Parliament building, and retains its "voice with teeth" as described here. — Jonathan Stegall, user experience engineer“Will Amazon pick underdog Newark for its HQ2? Experts worry the city cannot afford to win,” The Washington PostFile this in the "Careful What You Wish For" folder (or is that an entire file cabinet by now?): Jonathan O'Connell of the Washington Post writes about the long-shot bid by the New Jersey city — a 50-1 shot according to bookies — and its plan to change the odds with a massive $7 billion incentive offer. But if it wins, what exactly does it win? — Peter Callaghan, state government reporter“The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo,” Texas MonthlyBlack cowboys are rarely depicted in cowboy movies or other romanticizations of the Wild West, but they were very much a part of cattle driving life in the late 1800s. Even now, though, you don't see very many African-Americans in rodeo. For Texas Monthly, Christian Wallace tells the story of Myrtis Dightman, the bull rider who broke the color barrier in rodeo and became a role model for young black cowboys. — Greta Kaul, data reporter

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MinnPost Picks: on Toronto’s Google neighborhood, digital democracy, and the Jackie Robinson of rodeo

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