City open-data app competition offers $38,000 in prizes
Ideas include transit, garbage and parks
A total of $38,000 in prize money is offered as the city launches its second contest for developers who create apps based on municipal data.
The city’s Apps4Ottawa contest started Monday, with details announced at a meeting of council’s IT subcommittee.
Like the last contest a couple of years ago, the idea is for developers to create useful and interesting apps based on the city’s collection of data that includes information such as garbage and recycling schedules, park locations and OC Transpo bus arrival details.
Coun. Tim Tierney, who chairs the subcommittee, said he hopes this year’s contest will generate apps with staying power. Something that wraps information about various city services such as garbage collection and transit into one, for example, could be used on a daily basis and “would be dream,” he said.
Prizes are to be awarded in four categories: On the Move (transit and transportation-related apps), Having Fun (leisure, culture and recreational), Your City (apps that “encourage people to understand what is happening in their city, get involved, and connect with others”), and Data Analysis and Visualizations (“digital presentations and analysis of data that help to provide better understanding of the city.”)
The contest is funded through money from various sponsors. It is open to all Canadians, and with more data available for the contest — the city now has 63 data sets and 121 data files available on its website — officials expect more than the 90 submissions received during the last competition, said Mayor Jim Watson.
The first contest coincided with the city’s adoption of an open-data policy, based around the idea that certain city-collected and managed data should be readily available to anyone, in a “machine-readable” format, without copyright restrictions, patents or other controls on its use.
Until March 10, people can offer ideas and suggestions on apps they’d like to see at http://ottawa. ca/en/app-ideas-campaign. App submissions will be accepted from March 11 to May 12, before judging takes place. Winners are to be announced in June.
Prizes in each category include $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third, along with a student prize and people’s choice winner, each for $1,500. Another $2,000 in prizes is being offered by Microsoft Canada — the contest’s title sponsor — for the top Microsoft Windows 8 apps overall.