Amid the bustling urban landscape of San Francisco, the concern for the city’s future has sparked a wave of civic engagement among residents. With rising challenges like homelessness and inadequate safety measures, local tech enthusiasts and community members gathered for the SF10x hackathon, dedicating their time to create tech-driven solutions aimed at improving city life.
Saurabh Yergattikar, an eBay engineer and father of two, found inspiration to contribute during this event. He expressed his desire for a safer environment for his daughters as he worked on a predictive tool that could assess dangerous areas in the city. “[My kids] should be comfortable walking at night or taking the BART,” he shared, highlighting the personal motivations that fueled many participants.
The SF10x event attracted over 1,000 registrations, yet only 200 of the most passionate engineers, designers, and social workers made it to the venue. The challenge presented was straightforward: harness the power of artificial intelligence to devise solutions for critical urban issues, including safety, infrastructure, and permitting.
Held in the Frontier Tower, a coworking space located on a less-than-ideal stretch of Market Street, the hackathon featured 20 different projects developed within the span of 48 hours. Projects varied widely, from a legal chatbot designed to answer regulatory questions to Cityscaper, an innovative platform that assists city planners in viewing proposed building projects.
Much of the creativity was driven by individuals with no prior engineering experience. By leveraging readily available AI tools such as Lovable, ElevenLabs, and Cline AI, participants were able to turn their ideas into prototypes.
Judges for the event included Maanasa Sivashankar, a designer from the Mayor’s Office of Innovation, and Steven Bacio from GrowSF, highlighting the collaboration between local government and tech enthusiasts. Although the only initial prize was the satisfaction of contributing to civic betterment, sponsors later offered enticing rewards including Outside Lands tickets and cash prizes totaling $5,000.
Civic hackathons have become a staple in the Bay Area, with organizations like SF Civic Tech, OpenOakland, and Open Source San Jose hosting events for over a decade. Previous initiatives, such as Adopt a Drain initiated by the SF Public Utilities Commission, illustrate the potential for long-term impact when community members engage with civic tech.
However, the pandemic stunted the momentum of civic tech projects, according to Francis Li, who is now president of SF Civic Tech, a volunteer group formed in 2023. Li noted that funding cuts to previous organizations, such as Code for San Francisco, had diminished previously robust efforts. Nonetheless, the resurgence of interest, combined with the emergence of advanced AI tools, has reinvigorated community enthusiasm.
“With the AI boom, there’s wide-eyed hope that technology is going to accelerate and improve things,” Li elaborated, while also cautioning about the essential considerations of costs, privacy, and security that must not be overlooked.
Participants at SF10x, many of whom were first-time civic hackers, attributed their engagement to renewed optimism brought on by Mayor Daniel Lurie’s administration. They felt a tangible shift in the city’s energy, noting that previous sentiments of disengagement were being replaced with an eagerness to effect positive change.
Dan “DC” Posch, an organizer of SF10x and a cryptocurrency payments founder, remarked on Lurie’s ability to inspire civic involvement. “It feels like things are unstuck. Lurie is doing a lot more than the previous mayor,” he stated, emphasizing a collective determination to address local issues.
Supporting this grassroots movement, other organizers—including Massey Branscomb—encouraged a broader participation in civic hacking by inspiring others to feel empowered to contribute despite lacking traditional activist backgrounds.
Theresa Anoje, the founder of the social-impact job platform Remotely Good, shared her experience of developing Dignifi, an AI chatbot intended to assist individuals reentering society after incarceration. “I wouldn’t have been able to participate without [AI],” she affirmed, pointing out the accessibility of such technologies for those without a technical background.
City officials, including District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and Citywide Planning Director Rachael A. Tanner, were also present at SF10x, showing their support for civic engagement by encouraging participants to reach out with their ideas and proposals.
Despite the enthusiasm surrounding these civic tech initiatives, skepticism remains due to the historical precedent of abandoned projects that lost momentum when funding dried up. Previous efforts that dazzled during their initial presentations failed to sustain long-term interest and impact.
Yet, advocates believe the current climate—with its infusion of AI technology and backing from the Mayor’s Office of Innovation—might alter this trajectory. They are hopeful that a renewed commitment to civic engagement will pave the way for innovation and improvement in San Francisco.
Posch remarked on the shifting perspective among tech leaders who once viewed local civic work as insignificant, stating, “Now they realize that if you can move the needle in San Francisco, the world pays attention.”
For SF10x organizer Pablo Peniche, the collaboration with civic leaders was key to making the event successful. He initially feared pushback from city officials who might perceive the event as a critique of their governance, but found instead a willingness to partner and innovate together.
“We thought they’d push back, thinking we were saying the problems were their fault,” Peniche reflected. “Instead, they offered to send people to help. They said, ‘Let’s do this together.’”
Michael Adams, founder of CivLab and an SF10x judge, underscored the importance of the large turnout of newcomers. “People are dissatisfied with the city, and now they can use AI to do something,” he noted, pointing to a sense of hope among participants that positive change was indeed possible.
The winning project, SF OS, was a platform designed to bridge the gap between civic hackers and government organizations, aiming to increase the likelihood of impactful implementation of ideas. This achievement highlights the ongoing potential of civic tech to foster engagement and collaboration even amid the complex challenges facing urban communities today.
In summary, while the road ahead for San Francisco’s civic tech initiatives remains uncertain, events like SF10x demonstrate the community’s commitment to utilizing technology for meaningful change. The blend of AI capabilities, civic engagement, and government support may be just what San Francisco needs to reclaim its spirit and address urban challenges head-on.
image source from：sfstandard
