Editor’s note: Chuck Wolfe participated in this hackathon and is an affiliate associate professor at the University of Washington.
The University of Washington last month hosted an atypical urban planning and policy gathering called an “Urban Resilience Hackathon.” For a day, the event showcased collaborative problem solving and innovative thinking in addressing urban challenges.
The hackathon brought together volunteer organizations, state and local government, students, and researchers to co-develop testable “resilience pilot projects” that could help Seattle be more prepared for future disruptions.
DemocracyLab, a “tech for good” nonprofit, helped facilitate the hackathon, which had support from the National Science Foundation LEAP-HI project, and the UW’s Department of Urban Design and Planning.
“This is in many ways the most exciting hackathon we’ve done, given the diversity of participating stakeholders who can make change,” said Mark Frischmuth, executive director and founder of DemocracyLab.
While hackathons have traditional roots in the tech industry, their use in city planning is relatively new, both locally and internationally, in countries such as pre-war Ukraine and Slovenia.
“The idea of the policy hackathon is something that emerged from our early findings about the utility of pilot projects during disasters,” said Dr. Katherine Idziorek, an urban planning researcher at UNC Charlotte and one of the lead organizers of the event.
Dr. Branden Born, chair of the UW Department of Urban Design and Planning, said the hackathon is a tool for community engagement, uniting a diverse group of people to tackle complex problems. “I’m always thinking about how we can ‘do planning’ better,” he said. “[A hackathon] is a new and adaptable tool for planning.”
The UW hackathon centered on various pitches each addressing a different aspect of urban resilience to be tested against a future earthquake, pandemic, excessive heat event, or massive airline flight grounding. The pitches were also assessed for support of the Seattle Climate Action Plan and Seattle Race and Justice Initiative.
The day began with an introduction and welcome, followed by introductory pitches from each team to recruit members. Participants then spent the day in work sessions developing and refining their ideas. The day concluded with presentations to a review panel affiliated with the City of Seattle, Amazon, and Microsoft and brief awards.
Here’s a rundown of the projects presented, with links to each individual project page on the Democracy Lab Website, for access to each team’s participants, project documentation folder, and presentation.
Urban Innovation Lab
The Urban Innovation Lab, based on a recent GeekWire article, aims to create a community-centered platform for urban systems solutions. By fostering co-creation and collaboration, the lab serves as a hub for innovative projects, emphasizing resilience and addressing the needs of communities, especially those at the highest risk. The lab focuses on creating a platform for solutions beyond traditional government approaches, ensuring community needs are met and projects are tracked effectively.
Shoreline Street End Water Highway
The Shoreline Emergency Network Development (SEND) project focuses on utilizing shoreline street ends around Seattle’s water bodies for emergency transportation. This initiative supports regional planning efforts for maritime disaster resiliency in the Seattle area. The project includes hiring a consultant to conduct a feasibility analysis of these street ends to determine their suitability for transporting people and critical supplies during emergencies.
Resilient Community-Based Food Systems
The Food Responders project is a public-private partnership designed to leverage existing food systems in King County to address critical needs during disasters. This initiative aims to ensure city residents have access to food by activating local businesses as distribution hubs, thus mitigating food business losses. The project supports Seattle’s broader initiatives, such as the Climate Action Plan and the Food Action Plan, which focus on the regional food economy, disaster preparedness, and creating resilient food distribution systems.
Pressurized Emergency Water Storage in Multifamily Buildings
The project presentation presents emergency water storage solutions in multifamily buildings in Seattle. It addresses the challenges of climate change, which is expected to decrease water availability due to chronic and acute impacts. The project aims to enhance service equity and community resilience, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Planning Resilience Hubs for a Catastrophic Earthquake
The project sets out a detailed plan for developing Resilience Hubs in the region. These hubs are designed as community-serving facilities to enhance community cohesion, provide emergency management, and address climate change mitigation. The next steps involve leveraging existing resources, developing case studies, and collecting data on the benefits of these hubs to further support and expand their implementation across the region.
Planning Communications for Disasters
ResilComm was a favorite of the review panel and audience participants. It is a mobile app that ensures continued access to the internet and enables short-distance communication even when traditional cellular communication infrastructure fails. This is crucial for effective emergency response and disaster management. The plans for ResilComm include expanding coverage, developing a web app, and adding iOS support, all aimed at improving emergency communication and overall community resilience.
Capturing Solar for Life-Essential Machines
This project focuses on providing reliable electricity through solar panels and battery storage for life-essential medical equipment during power outages in Seattle. It aims to support vulnerable individuals reliant on such equipment, aligning with Seattle’s Climate Action Plan and Race and Social Justice Initiative. The initiative enhances community self-reliance and reduces the burden on emergency services.
Moving Forward
Hackathons could continue to play a pivotal role in city planning and policy, especially regarding keeping cities nimble. They provide a platform for innovative thinking, foster collaboration, and drive action — crucial to resilient and sustainable communities.
The range of projects presented at the Urban Resilience Hackathon, from urban system solutions to emergency water storage, speaks to the diverse issues that require further preparation and collaboration.
“Crises don’t allow time to invent responses from scratch,” said Dr. Dan Abramson of the UW Department of Urban Design and Planning. “Cities need to be adaptable, and the most adaptable cities are those that have a deep reserve of policies and programs they can draw on to keep themselves vital when normal activities are disrupted.”
