The University of Washington recently hosted an Urban Resilience Hackathon, aimed at addressing urban challenges and developing solutions to make Seattle more prepared for future disruptions. The event brought together various stakeholders, including volunteer organizations, government officials, students, and researchers, to collaborate on developing testable “resilience pilot projects.” This hackathon, organized by DemocracyLab, represents a new approach to city planning and policy-making, utilizing the concept of hackathons traditionally used in the tech industry.
The hackathon featured pitches addressing different aspects of urban resilience, to be tested against potential future disasters such as earthquakes, pandemics, extreme heat events, or airline flight disruptions. These pitches were also evaluated for their alignment with the Seattle Climate Action Plan and Seattle Race and Justice Initiative. Participants spent the day working on developing and refining their ideas, and presented them to a review panel comprised of representatives from the City of Seattle, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Some of the projects presented at the hackathon included the Urban Innovation Lab, Shoreline Street End Water Highway, Resilient Community-Based Food Systems, and Pressurized Emergency Water Storage in Multifamily Buildings. These projects aimed to enhance community resilience by addressing critical needs during disasters, such as ensuring food access, emergency transportation, and water storage solutions in multifamily buildings. Another project, ResilComm, focused on developing a mobile app to ensure continued access to the internet and communication during emergencies when traditional infrastructure fails.
The projects presented at the Urban Resilience Hackathon showcased a range of innovative solutions to urban challenges, from community-based food systems to emergency water storage and disaster communication planning. These projects aimed to address various aspects of resilience, such as ensuring access to essential services during emergencies, providing reliable electricity for medical equipment, and creating community-serving facilities for emergency management. The hackathon highlighted the importance of innovative thinking, collaboration, and action in building resilient and sustainable communities.
Moving forward, hackathons like the Urban Resilience Hackathon could continue to play a key role in city planning and policy-making, helping cities stay nimble and adaptable in the face of crises. These events provide a platform for developing and testing solutions, fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, and driving action to create more resilient and sustainable communities. By leveraging the tools and resources developed at hackathons, cities can better prepare for future disruptions and ensure they have the necessary policies and programs in place to respond effectively to emergencies.
