Hackathons provide a venue for self-expression and creativity through technology.

People with technical backgrounds come together, form teams around a problem or idea, and collaboratively code a unique solution from scratch — these generally take shape in the form of websites, mobile apps, robots, new products and sometimes just theoretical direction!

Teams are formed on a Friday evening and will be sharing our massive shop space over the entire weekend.  Some teams will talk and collaborate, some will huddle together and strategize. It’s as high stress or good fun as your team wants it to be. 

There will be prizes in the form of software, FULL YEAR memberships to MAKERSPACECT, and other donated goodies!

Today’s cities are experiencing an evolution.

We have transgressed from our ancestral village gathering places, to metropolises of the mid 20^th century. It’s our human nature, with the desire of exploration, to clear paths of soil, improve them with gravel, reduce wear with cobblestone, replace cast concrete, and finally create efficiencies with asphalt.  These cold and hard jungles have allowed a plethora of petroleum based transports to take over our definition of what a city is. Times have changed, and we are redefining what a city can and should be.

 We want to reconnect to our pedestrian roots. The social integration allowed by an on-foot human presence is there and waiting for us.

WE, the revolutionists, beg to rekindle social interaction and build a healthier way to move about. 

WE, the humans, are the only ones that can lead the means to solutions for ourselves.

The “CITY” is where we start  –  The “CITY” is where solve.

SAFE:  We need to be confident of our safety while on the move.

SMART: We want to connect the movers and shakers of the past, while allowing the future of smart-technologies to assist.

ACCESSIBLE: Those that want to navigate can only do so if their surroundings allow.

The revolution has started in major cities around the world, but not enough is being done. To fully integrate the human nature of movement and the geographic lay of the land…we must improve planning, structure, convenience, and technology. All come with a price and to help mitigate the unobtainable financial wall – we must take sequential steps before fulfilling the big picture.

These small steps are up to YOU.

We challenge YOU – our trusted Hackathon solutionists – to begin to define and conceptualize what directions we can take to solve for the 3 areas of SAFE, SMART, and ACCESSIBLE

Our cities are in need;  In need of YOU.

On the designated weekend, teams will step up to the challenge, begin to improve our lifestyles, define and begin to solve some of the most basic functions of humans in the city. Run, Don’t walk…as you have from this first meeting – until 3pm on Sunday afternoon to drop your pencils.

YOU and your teams will present your theories, prototypes, concepts, power-points, or digital models rendering the betterment of motion for humankind, right here in Hartford.

Walkers, Runners and Cyclists alike, want to safely move about their city. Safe from the threat of high speed, polluting transportation, and – movement at any hour of the day and night. 

Hartford can only attract itself to a better business program if we can meld safe and accessible options for arrival to home and work.

Accessible options are what we need now. Think hard, theorize and have fun this weekend.