🏙️ FCI x LangChain: Building the Future Cities Hackathon (Hybrid)
Details
PLEASE SIGN UP ON LUMA AS ATTENDANCE HERE IS NOT MONITORED
(​** Virtual Participation Available)*
​Future cities don’t build themselves.
​They’re constrained by zoning rules no one can analyze at scale; by critical decisions made with incomplete data; by growth happening faster than the systems meant to support it.
​And right now, the digital infrastructure behind our cities is decades behind the challenges they face, and we need to re-imagine the operating system of the city itself, with the help of AI.
​That’s what this hackathon is about.
​Join the Future Cities Institute (FCI) and **LangChain **community for an AI hackathon where you’ll build real, production-oriented tools to power Canada’s next generation of urban systems.
​You’ll work on live, research-backed problem spaces connected to municipalities, policymakers, and active FCI research projects.
​To set you up for success, we’ll host virtual pre-hackathon workshops to help you deeply understand both the urban challenges and the AI technologies you’ll use to solve them.
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## ​ Problem Statements
​Zoning Intelligence Engine – Turn thousands of messy municipal bylaws into a searchable, AI-powered national housing brain.
​City Data OS – Design the secure data nervous system that lets planning, transit, engineering, and health finally think as one city.
​Live Growth Command Center – Automate Waterloo Region’s path to one million residents with a real-time AI-powered regional readiness engine.
​Each participant will receive $50 in LangChain credits to power their hackathon build.
***
## ​ Timeline
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​** Workshop 1: LangChain + AI Technical Prep**
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​Wednesday, March 11, 6:00–7:00 PM (Remote)
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​Hands-on session covering:
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​LangChain foundations
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​Agents, RAG pipelines, and structured outputs
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​Building production-ready AI workflows
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​Technical strategy tips for hackathon success
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​** Workshop 2: FCI Introduction + Problem Deep Dive**
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​Wednesday, March 18, 6:00–7:00 PM (Remote)
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​Led by the FCI research team:
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​Introduction to FCI’s mission and active projects
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​Real-world context behind the challenge tracks
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​How municipalities and policymakers use this work
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​Q&A to help teams refine direction before Hackathon Day
## ​** Hackathon Day — Sunday, March 22 (Hybrid)**
- ​In Person @ University of Waterloo
- ​ Virtual participation supported
​Participants must indicate during registration whether they will attend in person or virtually to assist with team assignments and logistics.
- ​Hackathon Day (in-person, Waterloo): Sunday, Mar 22.
- ​9:30 – 10:00 AM: Doors open & check-in.
- ​10:00 – 10:30 AM: Opening + Q&A with FCI problem statement leads (livestream available)
- ​10:30 AM – 4:30 PM: Focus time (hacking on site; food & drinks provided).
- ​4:30 – 5:30 PM: Solution showcase (Brave Award).
- ​11:59 PM: Submission deadline.
- ​Winner Announcement: Sunday, Mar 29 (remote)
- ​In Person Capacity: 80–120 participants
- ​Maximum Team Size: 4
***
## ​ Judging & Awards
​Panel:
- ​Professors and Researchers from Waterloo FCI
- ​LangChain Experts
- ​Industry Professionals
​Prizes:
- ​ Brave Award - Best Technical Implementation
- ​$1000 LangChain Credits
- ​ Best Solution - Problem Statement 1
- ​$350 CAD gift card (team)
- ​ Best Solution - Problem Statement 2
- ​$350 CAD gift card (team)
- ​ Best Solution - Problem Statement 3
- ​$350 CAD gift card (team)
***
​Event Organizers:
Sign up: https://luma.com/jgxybphu