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Norfolk-based RISE Resilience Innovations is challenging dev teams to build urban mobility apps

The RISE Urban Mobility Challenge is calling on software developers to create tech solutions for automated traffic flooding information in the coastal Virginia region.

Traffic. (Photo by Flikr user Joe Le Merou, used under a Creative Commons license)

Norfolk, Virginia-based RISE Resilience Innovations, an economic development nonprofit, is hosting the RISE Urban Mobility Challenge for software developers to create tech solutions for automated traffic and flooding information.

For the challenge, teams must create a mobile app that provides drivers with real-time flooding and rerouting information. Road data must be accessible and relevant to private drivers, commercial vehicles, emergency vehicles and public transportation, per the challenge rules.

Dr. Paul Robinson, executive director of RISE, told Technical.ly that there will be five finalists selected to receive $30,000 each to begin app development. A winner will be chosen from those five, and the winning team will receive an additional $300,000 for implementation of the app.

“Our established resilience hub of innovators in coastal Virginia is looking forward to more entrepreneurs bringing their innovative resilience solutions to test here in our flood prone community that can be scalable for implementation in coastal communities around the world and built into sustainable, profitable businesses,” said Robinson in a statement.

This is a worldwide challenge open to teams based anywhere, but the mobile app testbed must be in coastal Virginia. Developers will be able to use RISE and Esri’s Hub datasets as a resource for applications, pilot sites in coastal Virginia cities and be able to tap into coworking and testing space provided by RISE in Norfolk.

Due to the spread of COVID-19, RISE has extended the application deadline from April 1 to June 1. Those interested in applying can catch a webinar on the challenge on March 23 as well as preview the application form online. To access the digital app, email katerinaoskarsson@riseresilience.org.

This isn’t the only challenge RISE is hosting: The nonprofit has five other challenges accepting applications right now. RISE was launched in 2017 after the Commonwealth of Virginia was awarded $120.5 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Developmentā€™s National Disaster Resilience Competition. The funding intends to go toward the creation of innovative projects in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region. HUD allocated $5.25 million of the funding for RISE to specifically go toward the creation of resilience-building solutions.

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