Introduction

The Richmond Civic Hackathon is designed to help participants build solutions that address real challenges facing the City of Richmond.

Projects should align with one of the seven civic challenge tracks inspired by the Mayor’s vision for a thriving Richmond. These tracks cover areas such as housing, economic opportunity, city services, sustainability, and community storytelling.

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Participants are encouraged to explore real-world civic problems and prototype tools, platforms, or creative projects that could improve how residents interact with their city.

This resource page provides tools, data sources, and inspiration to help teams build meaningful projects during the hackathon.

Tools and Technologies

Participants may use any programming languages, frameworks, or tools they prefer. Teams are encouraged to explore modern technologies and open data resources to build their projects.

Common tools teams may use include:

Development

  • JavaScript / TypeScript

  • Python

  • Node.js

  • React / Next.js

  • Flutter

  • Mobile development frameworks

AI & Machine Learning

  • OpenAI

  • Anthropic

  • Hugging Face

  • TensorFlow / PyTorch

Data Visualization

  • Tableau

  • Power BI

  • D3.js

  • Observable

Mapping & Geospatial Tools

  • Mapbox

  • Leaflet

  • OpenStreetMap

  • ArcGIS public datasets

Collaboration

  • GitHub

  • Figma

  • Slack / Discord

Teams are free to use any tools that help them build an effective prototype.

Inspiration

Looking for ideas? Here are some directions teams might explore.

City Services

  • Tools that help residents navigate city services more easily

  • AI assistants that answer common civic questions

  • Better interfaces for reporting neighborhood issues

Housing & Neighborhoods

  • Housing availability dashboards

  • Tools that help residents find neighborhood amenities

  • Data visualizations showing housing trends

Economic Opportunity

  • Platforms that connect residents with jobs, training programs, or small business resources

  • Tools that help local entrepreneurs access funding or support networks

Sustainability

  • Climate resilience tools

  • Flood or heat risk mapping

  • Tools that encourage sustainable transportation

Civic Storytelling

  • Interactive maps of Richmond’s cultural history

  • Digital oral history platforms

  • AR or mobile storytelling experiences

You don’t need to build a finished product. Focus on creating a compelling prototype that demonstrates your idea.

Contact Us & Support Channels

If you need help during the hackathon, support will be available throughout the event.

Participants can reach organizers and mentors through:

  • The event Slack workspace

  • Designated mentor stations during hacking sessions

  • Event volunteers and organizers on-site

If you encounter technical issues with submissions, Devpost staff or event organizers will assist you.

Additional Resource Links

Participants may find these resources helpful when building their projects:

City of Richmond Open Data Portal
https://data.richmondgov.com

Richmond Government Website
https://www.rva.gov

Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC)
https://ridegrtc.com

OpenStreetMap
https://www.openstreetmap.org

U.S. Census Data
https://data.census.gov

Code for America Civic Tech Resources
https://www.codeforamerica.org

These datasets and resources can help teams explore problems, validate ideas, and build data-driven solutions.