PhillyEcoCamp hackathon: 15 datasets released, 5 projects built

As part of the PhillyEcoCamp hackathon, the City of Philadelphia released 15 environment-focused datasets. Five city agencies and two organizations released data that includes:

• Code violation notices (these are tickets the Streets Department issues, like tickets for putting out your trash too early or for an overflowing dumpster)
• Vacant lots that have been cleaned by the city
• Street trees that have been removed by the city since 2002

Hackers used the data to build projects at the hackathon, organized by Callowhill-based mapping firm Azavea. Here’s some of the tools they built, as reported by the city’s Managing Director’s Office blog:

• Stormfighter, a project from Chris Nies that aims to help the Water Department fight sewer overflow during rainstorms by showing the places that flooding is most likely to occur.
• LitterDexPHL, a project by Haverford College students that maps litter and demographics in hopes of helping the Streets Department better target its anti-litter campaigns.
• MyPark, an app for Philadelphians to report problems in city parks.