If you don't try to enact these projects how are you going to know the value they derive. The data collection is a necessary part of optimizing the solution.

Edit: The Sidewalks Lab project is building a city. Toronto can move any people who need assistance into the society. It almost sounds like a thought experiment, but with the resources they have access to, they would be better able to assist than the city.

For example, Toronto doesn't have enough safe injection sites. The data would help to highlight that if it is collected.