CIVIC Hack 2026

About the challenge

Real cities. Real problems. 36 hours.

CIVIC Hack is a virtual student hackathon where the challenge isn’t picked by organizers. It’s picked by the people who run Canada’s cities. Attendees at the Canadian Urban Institute Summit, including municipal leaders, planners and city-builders, vote on the municipal problem they most want solved. The winning challenge is revealed at launch on November 12, and you have 36 hours to build a concept, tool or working prototype that tackles it.

Teams present their work at a virtual showcase on November 14, where a panel of technical and municipal experts from the Future Cities Institute picks the winners.

Why join

• Work on a problem real municipalities said they care about.
• Get feedback from experts in urban planning, transportation and municipal innovation.
• Compete for $1,500 in prizes.
• Catch a livestream of a municipal AI workshop on November 13.
• Build a portfolio project with real civic relevance.

Who it’s for

University students in urban planning, data science, computer science, engineering, design, public policy: anyone who wants to use data and technology to make cities work better. Teams can include students from any university, as long as at least one member is a current University of Waterloo student. No prior hackathon experience needed.

The challenges

Summit attendees are voting on one of the five challenges below. The winner is announced at launch on November 12. Read them all, because you won’t know which one you’re building for until then.

Challenge	How might we…
Making municipal decisions easier to understand	How might we help residents understand a proposed municipal decision, how it could affect them, and when they can have a say?
Finding gaps in transit access	How might we use public data to spot where transit schedules make it hard to reach essential destinations, and figure out which improvements matter most and what the trade-offs are, including first-mile/last-mile gaps?
Making long-term infrastructure costs visible	How might we help residents weigh an infrastructure project’s upfront price against its future maintenance, operating and environmental costs?
Tracking a city’s commitments	How might we help residents see what progress a municipality has made on a public commitment, and what’s still unclear?
From housing approval to construction	How might we help residents and decision-makers understand what happens between a housing approval and construction, and where progress gets hard to track?

About the host

CIVIC Hack is run by the Future Cities Institute (FCI) at the University of Waterloo, founded by CAIVAN, as part of its CIVIC program connecting municipalities with student talent. Instead of every city solving the same problem alone, CIVIC builds solutions that can be shared.

Get started

1. Register on this page.
2. Join the participant Discord: Link to be shared in the sign-up confirmation email.
3. Read the five challenges above. The winner is revealed at launch.
4. Form a team of 1–4 with at least one University of Waterloo student, or come solo if you’re a UW student.
5. Join the virtual launch on November 12 at 6:00 PM ET.

Schedule (all times ET)

When	What
Now – Nov 12	Registration open; Summit attendees vote on the challenge
Nov 12, 3:00 PM	Challenge voting closes
Nov 12, 6:00 PM	Virtual launch: winning challenge revealed, brief and datasets shared
Nov 12, 7:00 PM	Hacking begins
Nov 13, morning	Livestream of the municipal AI workshop
Nov 13, all day	Build time
Nov 14, 10:00 AM	Hacking ends: submissions due on Devpost
Nov 14, 12:30 PM	Virtual showcase and awards ceremony

FAQ

Who can participate?
University students from any school, as long as every team includes at least one current University of Waterloo student. Solo participants must be UW students. All programs and experience levels are welcome.

Does it cost anything?
No, CIVIC Hack is free.

Do I need a team?
No. UW students can compete solo. Teams can have up to 4 people, with at least one UW student. You can find teammates in our Discord.

I don’t code. Can I still join?
Yes. Strong concepts, designs and data analyses are welcome, and teams with mixed skills tend to do best.

Why don’t we know the challenge yet?
Because Summit attendees are choosing it. The winner is revealed at launch on November 12, so read all five ahead of time.

Where does it happen?
Fully online. Links for the launch, the workshop livestream and the showcase go to registered participants.

Will I get feedback?
Yes. Teams present at the November 14 showcase to a panel of technical and municipal experts from FCI.

Questions?
Contact here.

Requirements