Pedal Forward Kalamazoo is a local Solution Challenge in the form of a day-long hackathon that will take place on November 18th, 2023. Building on our commitment to drive social impact, this year we are partnering with ModeShift, a leading advocacy organization focused on improving alternative modes of transportation in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This event presents a unique opportunity for participants to tackle real-world challenges in sustainable transportation, enrich their portfolios, and contribute meaningfully to ModeShift's ongoing initiatives.

OPTION 1 - DATA VISUALIZATION

The data visualization project would be to develop a visual representation of where the City of Kalamazoo generates its tax revenue. The 3D revenue model would be generated from publicly available tax information (e.g. property tax rates, millage rates). The revenue model will intuitively illustrate the economic impact of varying patterns of development within the city.   See the picture : Click here!   Data sources: View GIS Maps City of Kalamazoo (kalamazoocity.org) Public GIS Web Map (kalamazoocity.org) Home | City of Kalamazoo | BS&A Online (bsaonline.com)   Some conceptual resources: Home Page - Urban3 (urbanthree.com)    

 OPTION 2 - ROUTE PLANNER:

The route planner project would be to develop an interactive map that allows the user to 1) turn layers on and off to locate certain predetermined amenities, and 2) generate the most direct route to that location while incorporating the qualitative feature of risk tolerance. 

 

Data sources: 

Most of the relevant amenity data has already been compiled to this map: Route Planner | Modeshift Kalamazoo (modeshiftkzoo.wixsite.com)

City of Kalamazoo's Street Design Manual may be used to determine baseline street typology (each type has inherent characteristics, such as speed limit, traffic capacity, etc): Street Design Manual — Imagine Kalamazoo, which we have boiled down to four (4) levels of risk tolerance.

See the chart :Click here!
On a scale of 1-4, 1 being the least risky and 4 being the most risky:   1 - Neighborhood Street (incl. LN) 2 - Neighborhood Connector (incl. NB, CB, NN, EN) 3 - Sub-Urban Connector (incl. CC) 4 - Priority/Main (incl. UC, E/F, MS)  

Some conceptual references: 

Ottawa, ON, CA amenities map: Ottawa Bike Amenities Map (bikeottawa.ca)

Ottawa, ON, CA route planner map: Bike Ottawa Route Planner

 

Please Note: Participants are asked to work on either one of them.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

3 non-cash prizes
Winner
1 winner

1st Runner-up
1 winner

2nd Runner-up
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

TBD

TBD

Judging Criteria

  • 20% | Implementation
    Does it work? Is it implementable? Did the team achieve everything they wanted?
  • 20% | Innovation
    How innovative / creative / unique is the idea?
  • 20% | Technical Complexity
    Is the project technically impressive? Complex? How technically sophisticated / advanced / elegant was the solution?
  • 20% | Presentation and Communication
    Does the presentation clearly define and address the problem statement?
  • 20% | User Experience
    Did the team put thought into the user experience? How well designed is the interface?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

Tell your friends

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.