Hackers will join forces with civic leaders to search for technology-based ways of addressing various social concerns during a two-day hack-a-thon this weekend at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters. Doors for the Hack for L.A. 2015 event — which coincides with the `National Day of Civic Hacking — will open 8 a.m. Saturday. After a keynote speech from Mayor Eric Garcetti, teams of developers, designers, government officials and community activists will set off to create technological solutions for issues such as health, the drought, transportation or immigration.
The teams can work overnight and will have access to data sets made available by the city and other groups. The teams will be competing for cash prizes and must submit their projects by 4 p.m. Sunday. Presentations will take place at 5 p.m. and winners announced at 6 p.m. Tickets are sold out for the event.
Garcetti’s office is also holding a simultaneous workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the DWP building, 111 N. Hope St., to share ways to save water amid the drought. Last year’s Hack for L.A. event at Los Angeles City Hall had 30 submissions. The winners included applications that can be used to connect people to homeless shelters, report water waste and to certify and manage volunteer coaches.
