Muscat City gears up for Urban Hackathon
Published: 01:03 PM,Mar 20,2023 | EDITED : 05:03 PM,Mar 20,2023
Following the success of the Urban Hackathons in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, the European Union Delegation to Oman will host the third Urban Hackathon #peoplemakeplaces in Muscat during May 21 – 23, 2023. The event is being organized in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Muscat Municipality, as well as the Embassies of Germany, Netherlands, and Spain, and Oman Think Urban (OTU).
The Oman Urban Hackathon aims to bring together local practitioners and civil society to find bottom-up solutions to the most pressing issues on sustainable development and to promote local talent as well as Muscat’s green transition.
Applications for the hackathon are open until March 25, 2023. Registrations are open to high school students (16+), university students, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and professionals in the field of urban planning, architecture, civil engineering, digital art & design, environmental science, culture studies and transportation.
The hackathon revolves around seven themes of urban planning for applicants to choose from. The themes are as follows:
• Climate change and urban sustainability: solve heatwaves challenge, adapt to rising sea levels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, public transportation, consumption behaviour, and construction.
• Waste management: formulating ideas that reduce industrial or organic waste and promote recycling and reuse methods.
• Mobility: inventing eco-friendly transportation on land, sea, or flight alternatives.
• Energy: reducing consumption, and shifting to renewable energy alternatives.
• Water management: ideate alternative methods to reduce water consumption, reduce risk of flooding & wadi management and inspire water provision.
• Community participation and public spaces: thinking of ways to empower local communities and offering accessible natural open spaces for the public to use.
• Communities and culture as urban dimensions: originating urban ideas that uplift cultural exchange and social cohesion, boost cultural and social activities within marginalized communities, or raise awareness about cultural practices.
Senior experts in sustainable planning, including several coming from Europe, will be coaching and guiding the participants throughout the process. Participants will have the opportunity to present their solutions to a jury of business, technology, and industry professionals who will select the winning hackathon team who will receive funding from a local business angel investor to further develop and implement the project. However, all competing teams will receive assistance from local partners, EU experts, and OTU in making their project a reality. The winning team will be chosen for its dedication to highlighting Oman's culture and how it reflects modern sustainability.
All solutions will be in line with Oman Vision 2040, the Oman National Spatial Strategy, and the European Green Deal – the EU's plan to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 – as well as general sustainability principles.
The Oman Urban Hackathon aims to bring together local practitioners and civil society to find bottom-up solutions to the most pressing issues on sustainable development and to promote local talent as well as Muscat’s green transition.
Applications for the hackathon are open until March 25, 2023. Registrations are open to high school students (16+), university students, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and professionals in the field of urban planning, architecture, civil engineering, digital art & design, environmental science, culture studies and transportation.
The hackathon revolves around seven themes of urban planning for applicants to choose from. The themes are as follows:
• Climate change and urban sustainability: solve heatwaves challenge, adapt to rising sea levels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, public transportation, consumption behaviour, and construction.
• Waste management: formulating ideas that reduce industrial or organic waste and promote recycling and reuse methods.
• Mobility: inventing eco-friendly transportation on land, sea, or flight alternatives.
• Energy: reducing consumption, and shifting to renewable energy alternatives.
• Water management: ideate alternative methods to reduce water consumption, reduce risk of flooding & wadi management and inspire water provision.
• Community participation and public spaces: thinking of ways to empower local communities and offering accessible natural open spaces for the public to use.
• Communities and culture as urban dimensions: originating urban ideas that uplift cultural exchange and social cohesion, boost cultural and social activities within marginalized communities, or raise awareness about cultural practices.
Senior experts in sustainable planning, including several coming from Europe, will be coaching and guiding the participants throughout the process. Participants will have the opportunity to present their solutions to a jury of business, technology, and industry professionals who will select the winning hackathon team who will receive funding from a local business angel investor to further develop and implement the project. However, all competing teams will receive assistance from local partners, EU experts, and OTU in making their project a reality. The winning team will be chosen for its dedication to highlighting Oman's culture and how it reflects modern sustainability.
All solutions will be in line with Oman Vision 2040, the Oman National Spatial Strategy, and the European Green Deal – the EU's plan to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 – as well as general sustainability principles.