Looking for HubHacks2 (Spring 2015)? Click here!
Mayor Martin J. Walsh made a commitment early in his first tenure to make processes like Permitting easier on Bostonians, from individuals hoping to start small businesses, to developers and contractors, to homeowners looking to make additions on their homes. In addition to a full review of the permitting application process and portal, Mayor Walsh, along with the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM), is inviting IT developers and members of the Boston community to come together for HubHacks, the City’s first-ever civic minded Hackathon.
Can I Apply for that Permit Online?: With September 1st weeks away, developers will try their hand at a challenge to provide a very practical solution using the City’s new API - creating a simple online and/or mobile application for Street Occupancy permits required to block space for a moving truck.
*N.b., on-site food, snacks and beverages will be available from Brew and Gather throughout the day (Brew will close at 4 p.m.) Participants are able to work at District Hall as long as it is open (2 a.m.), but City staff and advisors will no longer be available on-site after 5 p.m.
9:00 a.m. - Open workshop hours begin, coffee available for all participants starting around 10. Additionally, Brew will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Noon - Advisors will be on site and available to consult or answer questions from teams.
2:00 p.m. - Submission deadline for teams to upload files to Challengepost site, teams on-site will then present their hacks. When all teams finish, challenge winners will be announced.
We want to extend our thanks to BattleHack: Boston, also the weekend of August 9th and 10th. Some participants at that event will be working to build hacks for the greater good of the city while also taking on our challenges. More information for hackers and developers of all sizes at BattleHacks.
Participants will be given access to detailed rules, requirements for submissions, and necessary files/APIs to create working Web applications that meet one of the above challenges.
Submissions should be functioning web or mobile apps that meet one of the four challenges presented.
Submissions must be made by 2 p.m. on Sun., Aug 10. To submit, use the online form at http://hubhacks.challengepost.com, filling in all fields.
The tool successfully answers the primary question of the challenge. It is a finished product that would is easy, clear and predictable for the average Resident.
The tool provides a great user experience, based on clever design elements and innovative capabilities.
The tool successfully utilizes information and the API provided by the City to access the Permitting process.