🏙️ FCI x LangChain: Building the Future Cities Hackathon (Hybrid)
​* 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.
​🎯 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
​🎓 Workshop 1: LangChain + AI Technical Prep
​Wednesday, March 11, 6:00–7:00 PM (Remote)
​Hands-on session covering:
​LangChain foundations
​Agents, RAG pipelines, and structured outputs
​Building production-ready AI workflows
​Technical strategy tips for hackathon success
​🌍 Workshop 2: FCI Introduction + Problem Deep Dive
​Wednesday, March 18, 6:00–7:00 PM (Remote)
​Led by the FCI research team:
​Introduction to FCI’s mission and active projects
​Real-world context behind the challenge tracks
​How municipalities and policymakers use this work
​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
​$2000 LangChain Credits (team)
​🏆 Best Solution - Problem Statement 1
​$500 CAD gift card (team)
​🏆 Best Solution - Problem Statement 2
​$500 CAD gift card (team)
​🏆 Best Solution - Problem Statement 3
​$500 CAD gift card (team)
​Event Organizers: