DEP is proud to announce our 2nd Annual Hackathon event, in partnership with bcWorkshop and Open Dallas. We want to say thank you to the Dallas Regional Chamber for hosting our event.

Prior to our hackathon, we met with the folks at bcWorkshop, a not-for-profit community design center, to brainstorm and discuss issues in Dallas with potential techology solutions. Those identified issues will take center-stage in the hackathon as we'll be framing them as challenges for participants.

Please join us on June 29th at the Dallas Regional Chamber, located at 500 N. Akard Suite 2600 in downtown Dallas.

Thank you to our sponsors, the Dallas Regional Chamber, University of North Texas and Michael Veale

CHALLENGE #1

How do we find existing resources, information or events going on in Dallas, and make them more public?

• For example:
  • The status of infrastructure projects, plans, zoning?
  • Which amenities are at a nearby park, trail, recreation center?
  • What are all the volunteer opportunities next weekend?
• Existing projects:
  • San Francisco Recreation & Parks [http://appallicious.com/sf-rec-park/]
  • Digital Harlem [http://acl.arts.usyd.edu.au/harlem/index.php]
  • The Public Agenda [http://www.thepublicagenda.bcworkshop.org/]

CHALLENGE #2

How do we empower more people to be content creators in our communities?

• For example:
  • A YouTube campaign about the importance of being vocal and informed.
  • A website to help train people how to use WordPress / Blogger / YouTube / any other content management, creation or distribution platform.
  • An ad campaign in public space to get people paying attention to a specific issue

CHALLENGE #3

How can local government facilitate interaction between itself and its citizens?

• For example:
  • Open311
  • Text message exchange/alert

CHALLENGE #4

How can we use tech to encourage walkability or livability in the city?

• For example:
  • Geo-tagged walk paths with points-of-interest
  • Highlighting the best places to sit in the city, or the best views from public spaces
• Existing projects:
  • MuralApp

CHALLENGE #5

How could you auto-generate an agenda for locals and visitors based on preferences or minimal user-input?

• For example:
  • A “Songza” for Dallas events, places and spaces

CHALLENGE #6

How could you help owners of private property open their space for public consumption, or help people find out about the possibilities of vacant land?

• For example:
  • Help facilitate the commissioning of public art or murals
  • Help facilitate the development of a public seating area or green space
  • Open space for urban farming development
    • Oak Cliff example

CHALLENGE #7

How could you support local food producers and farmers’ markets?

• For example:
  • Develop a website to show all of the farmers markets and their hours
  • Publically highlight a network of restaurants that use locally-grown food

OPEN CHALLENGE

Grab Bag – Anything not listed in 1-7.

• FYI: In order to win 1st place, you must address challenges 1 through 7. 

We welcome all people to join us on June 29th. We are looking for civic leaders, developers, designers, social activists and programmers. If you want to help solve problems in your community, you can participate in our hackathon.

To register as a participant go to dephackathon2.eventbrite.com.

• Clarity
  Does the team clearly define the problem and the solution?
• Delivery
  Is it well-designed and functional? Does it solve the identified problem?
• Tech
  Is this a project delivered via an electronic means? - A score of 5 would be a mobile or web app - A score of 3 would be a web video or presentation - A score of 1 would be little or no technology component
• Impact
  Does the demo/project enact an immediate or near-term change or outcome?
• Sustainability
  Do you expect this project to have extended influence by way of a likely champion or adopting stakeholder? Does it propose a solution that is scalable? Is it built in conjunction or partnership with existing projects or ideas, such as open-source code?