How can open access to city data work for people and create more transparency? In Chernivtsi, young people have the answer. A QR code on a memorial plaque now tells the story of a building and the people who lived there. A new service will show which municipal properties are leased and which are going up for auction. Both ideas were born at the previous Chernivtsi Open Data Hackathon, and now the city is bringing them to life.
On 30–31 October, the EUACI supported the 3rd hackathon. The event brought together 50 developers, analysts and open data enthusiasts in 9 teams to create services that strengthen transparency and integrity and improve residents’ quality of life.
Over two days, the teams visualised statistical data, developed new services and tools, and improved existing tools of the Chernivtsi City Council.
“Chernivtsi, as an Integrity City, has published a large amount of data on transport, land, municipal property and the budget. This data helps to see problems more clearly, prevent corruption, plan work and create useful services. The hackathon is a chance to turn available open data into new services and to meet people who are ready to contribute to the city’s development and corruption prevention,” said Dmytro Iakymchuk, the EUACI Team Leader of the Integrity Cities.
Participants learned to build quick prototypes using AI. They worked with mentors to refine their ideas. Each team presented a working prototype to the jury, covering the problem, the solution and its value for the city.
Winners of the Chernivtsi Open Data Hackathon 3.0:
- 1st place — team DPALAB with After the Appeals, which visualises and clusters residents’ appeals on the community map;
- 2nd place — team [TEAM] with Green Chernivtsi, which identifies overheated areas of the city to help plan greening;
- 3rd place — team VILNO with The City Sees.The Driver Is Free, a parking payment verification module for the municipal SmartCity platform.
The best solution will receive support from the Chernivtsi City Council, giving it a chance to live on beyond the hackathon. This is what happened to the winners of previous years.
2024 – Digital Memorial. The project digitalises memorial plaques with QR codes that link to information about prominent citizens and fallen soldiers. It is being partly implemented under the Programme for the Preservation of Historic Buildings of the Chernivtsi City Territorial Community. QR codes are currently being placed on memorial plaques on architectural monuments. Scanning a code opens the city geoportal with information about the building, the notable people who lived there in different periods, and Chernivtsi’s fallen defenders. The initiative will later expand beyond the historic area.
2025 – CityRent: Monitoring Municipal Property Leases and Upcoming Auctions. The service will make data on municipal real estate more open, so residents can see which properties are leased and which will be put up for auction. It will be built on a module of the municipal GIS portal and the “Management of Revenues to the Community Budget” software, both introduced with EUACI support. The City Council has already allocated UAH 140,000 for it.
Each such project makes the city’s work more transparent and accountable, because what can be seen and checked is harder to hide.
