Home / ECCE App Challenge 2019 Teams

App: rePurpose

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Mission statement

Poor planning policy can make or break cities. Urban sprawl, vacant land, and resource deserts affect the wellbeing of communities and the health of our environment.

For the City of Hamilton, a number of strategies, planning frameworks, and initiatives have been put in practice to help plan our city more sustainably. The Neighbourhood Action Strategy (NAS) is just one of the many plans that aim to make Hamilton a great place to live, work, and raise a family. In order to realize this dream, the focus of the NAS is on community resources that foster positive, healthy and sustainable neighbourhoods.

This means that continued resident engagement is crucial, and our rePurpose app will facilitate that engagement. Residents will be able to explore community resources in their area with our accessible and easy-to-use WebApp. Based on their own expertise of their community’s needs, they will be able to suggest how and where the land in their neighbourhood can be better utilized via a GeoForm.

The submission data for this app will be publicly available, making it easy for urban planners, policymakers, and community leaders to have a better understanding of resident needs. Sustainable urban development begins with building sustainable communities, and residents are the experts of those communities.

Video Presentation

Documentation

Team Members

Gregory Woodward: Greg (far right) is a fourth-year Earth and Environmental Science Student at McMaster University. He is pursuing a minor in GIS and competing in the App challenge for the first time. His interests are in hydrology, environmental contamination and assessment as well as how using GIS can help to make more informed decisions about environmental remediation. Outside of academics he enjoys rowing, yoga and volunteering with youth at the local community centre.

Matthew Lauzon: Matthew (middle right) is a fourth-year Geography and Environmental Science major at McMaster. He is pursuing a minor is GIS and competing in the App Challenge for the first time. He has had the opportunity to work in an ecology lab using remote sensing to detect invasive grass distributions across southern Ontario. He has a strong passion for the environment and sustainable development and hopes to use his GIS skills to influence future development projects. Matthew enjoys rowing, camping and hiking, as well as fixing up old cars.

Serad Abdi: Serad (middle left) is a 5th year undergraduate student in B.Sc Hons Environmental Science and Geography who is pursuing a minor in GIS. She is very interested in hydrology, renewable energy resources as well as exploring how various technologies like GIS can help improve our carbon footprints. Outside of her academic interests she enjoys reading, playing soccer, and watching nature documentaries. This is her second time competing in the app challenge.

Nicole Langdon: Nicole (far left) is a fourth-year Geography student at McMaster University who is pursuing a minor in GIS. She is currently doing her undergraduate thesis on food accessibility and urban agriculture in Hamilton, Ontario. This year is her first time competing in the app challenge. Beyond the classroom, Nicole has a passion for technology and volunteering in her community.