Mobile app for multicultural visitor's guide wins HIllsborough County hack-a-thon

The 2015 Code for Hillsborough hack-a-thon brought more than 100 presenters, programmers and community leaders in economic development together to create potential solutions to existing real-world problems in local communities.

The team that created a “Multi-Cultural Visitor's Guide” won top honors at the Sunday, June 7, awards ceremony.

The mobile app multicultural guide to the Tampa Bay area was created following county guidelines, such as: including links to Visit Tampa Bay and the state tourism office, Visit Florida; a Google-interfaced map with prominent venues highlighted, a background history or photo of the venues; a walking trail or driving route; and more desired criteria.

Code for Tampa Bay Brigade and Hillsborough County worked together to present the 3rd Annual National Day (in this case, weekend) of Civic Hacking. County commissioner Sandy Murman praised Code for Tampa Bay's efforts to "provide a creative environment where innovation thrives."

Civic collaboration in the community, networking among local government and technologists, programmers and developers, and encouraging “civic hacking” are all part of the goals of the Hillsborough County EDI2-funded event.

During the two-day hack-a-thon, event participants were challenged to create useful resources that addressed community needs identified by data supplied from the county government. Challenges included:

• Dig through thousands of lines of raw data to make Florida Vendor Payment information accessible, useful and understandable for your application
• Use multiple sources of information to develop a way to help the county understand inmate populations and how jail systems are being used
• Map out a shuttle transportation system for downtown Tampa
• Create a web application that provides international matchmaking between foreign companies and Hillsborough County 
• Develop a multicultural visitor guide using basic tools like a jpeg image and a brochure

Presenters discussed best practices in tech hot topics like mobile app development or transparency for vendors, as well as community-centered issues like the challenges that government agencies and citizens alike can face when it comes to providing or accessing services or resources.

Runners up included a team that created an Emergency Preparedness Interactive Map and the Tampa Bay Trade and Protocol Council app.

2015 Code for Hillsborough partners in civic engagement include: Microsoft, Forex Factory, TekBank, Eureka! Factory,  The Iron Yard, Absolute Mobile Solutions, CastleRoc Information Services, RedHat, Laicos, The Grind Coffee Bar, Kahwa Coffee Roasters,  Tampa Innovation Alliance and Busch Gardens.