The Hackathon Experience: Ford Mobility — Planning Innovation in Urban Mobility
Creativity thrives when brilliant minds come together to solve complex problems. That's exactly what happened at the recent Ford Mobility Hackathon, a one-of-a-kind event designed to put Ford’s curb space data in the hands of developers, startups, and mobility enthusiasts. The main goal? Spark practical solutions for city congestion, parking headaches, and smoother urban travel. Here’s how bold ideas, collaboration, and smart hackathon planning led to impactful results.
Every city driver knows the pain of circling block after block to find a parking spot. But what if curb data could drive a smarter, cleaner, less frustrating future? Ford opened its Curb Space API to a talented community ready to combine solid data with local insights for real-world, city-sized solutions.
What Was the Ford Mobility Hackathon All About?
The purpose behind this hackathon was clear: explore new ways to use Ford’s curb information and API by letting the community build, mix, and experiment. By bringing together creative minds from across London and beyond, Ford aimed to discover new ways for people to move freely and sustainably around cities.
A Challenge Built for Creative Problem-Solving
- Challenge: Teams were asked to use Ford’s Curb Space API—data about parking regulations, availability, and restrictions—alongside other open data sources like Camden's city data or other public data sets.
- Objective: Build helpful, innovative apps that:
- Make parking and city travel easier.
- Reduce pollution from aimless driving.
- Reduce congestion in urban areas.
Ford wanted to see not only what their data could do, but how a crowd of developers could turn open data into solutions that would help everyday city life. Collaborative energy and robust hackathon planning set the stage for powerful ideas to come to life.
Related: If you're beginning your own journey in organizing group problem-solving events, you’ll find step-by-step guidance in our how to organize a hackathon.
The Power of Ford’s Curb Space API & Data Integration
At the core of the event was the Curb Space API—a toolkit that gives developers access to detailed info about when and where curb space is available, parking rules, and much more. This kind of data is a game changer if you're aiming for smarter city planning and better mobility.
What Does the Curb Space API Do?
- Shares real-time updates on curb and parking space availability.
- Lists specific parking rules, including no-parking hours or special uses.
- Enables geolocation so commuters can search by current location or destination.
By combining the API with local open datasets, teams could create applications that guide drivers to legal parking spots with the right price and within walking distance of their destination. This approach highlighted the value of integrating advanced technology in mobility—learn more about this on GoCurb in "Driving the Future of Urban Mobility with Advanced Technology."
Key API Features Used by Teams
- Accurate curb availability in real-time
- Parking restriction rules
- Smart suggestions using proximity and geolocation data
To get a sense of how standardization of curb and parking data works in practice, Populus AI offers a useful introduction to curb data standards.
Major Urban Challenges Hackathon Teams Tackled
Three main problems guided this event’s hackathon planning and participant brainstorming:
- Parking Search Time
Londoners spend an average of 8 minutes just trying to find somewhere to park. This wasted time impacts productivity, mental well-being, and everyday life. - City Pollution and Congestion
All those extra minutes of circling create pollution and traffic, making city air dirtier and roads more crowded—and a better parking solution could cut those issues down. - User-Friendly Mobility Experiences
Travelers need simple, effective apps that blend right into their daily routines—so solutions had to focus on practical, user-friendly features.
Solving these challenges means less stress for drivers, less pollution for the city, and a more vibrant urban community. It’s clear that strong hackathon planning connects innovative solutions with real user problems.
Curious about running a challenge that gets similar results? Dive into our hackathon event details.
Standout Solutions Created at the Hackathon
Hackathon participants came up with a range of creative ideas. Below are three of the most notable projects:
Smart Curb Space Search Platform
- How it Helps: Builds a platform using proximity and geolocation data to instantly notify drivers when parking spaces become available nearby.
- Key Features:
- Real-time alerts about free spots as they open up
- User control over priorities: price, distance, or sustainability
- Impact: Instead of hunting aimlessly for parking, drivers can head straight to an open space. Less circling equals less traffic and cleaner air.
Calendar-Integrated Parking App: “Cape”
- How it Helps: Seamlessly connects with your digital calendar or diary to match upcoming events with the best parking options.
- Key Features:
- Pulls information from the Curb Space API and knows event details, making it possible to pick a parking spot within the right time frame
- Factors in user vehicle size for more accurate suggestions
- Impact: Users can plan their day with confidence, knowing they’ll arrive on time and find a spot that suits their needs.
Innovative Winner: “Kirby”
- How it Helps: Uses existing city CCTV cameras instead of new sensors to check curb space occupancy. Teams placed spray-painted or sticker-based symbols on parking spots to help drivers locate the right curbs.
- Key Features:
- Doesn’t require extra hardware—the infrastructure already exists
- Easy to deploy and scale
- Integrates curb data in a practical, straightforward way
- Impact: Fast, cost-effective parking solutions ready for city-wide use. "Kirby" stood out thanks to its ability to use what cities already have—saving money while making parking simpler.
Each project was a direct response to real city problems, reflecting the power of focused hackathon planning.
If you’re seeking proven paths to inspire great hackathon outcomes, see our successful hackathon events guide 2022.
Judging the Best of the Best: How Winners Were Chosen
The evaluation panel explored each entry with a strong focus on both practicality and creativity:
Judging Criteria
- Business Model Viability: Is there a solid plan for real-world use?
- Innovation: Does the idea bring something new to the table?
- User Experience: Is the solution simple, intuitive, and helpful?
- API Implementation: How well did each team use Ford’s Curb Space API?
“Kirby” stood out by ticking every box—it solved a real problem without requiring lots of new equipment or big spending, and made full use of the data at hand.
When it comes to hackathon planning, these criteria ensure ideas are not just imaginative but also ready for real-world adoption.
API Performance: Reliability at Scale
A hackathon is a big test for any technical platform. During this event, Ford’s API supported multiple teams accessing data around the clock, handling the pressure like a pro. The robust infrastructure, already proven as a part of London’s commercial Go Park system, meant no team faced data access hiccups.
"The API really performed. We monitored data delivery through the event, and every team had what they needed—no breakdowns, no slowdowns."
A reliable API is crucial because it lets developers stay creative and focused instead of worrying about glitches. The positive developer response underlines the importance of providing strong, steady tools for any successful hackathon planning.
Public Launch & What Comes Next
This hackathon marked the first time Ford shared its Curb Space API and parking data widely with the public. By inviting external creators to experiment, Ford took a big step toward opening the door for smarter city travel everywhere.
Bringing innovation to the public means other cities, agencies, and teams can build on these tools, creating even more impact—one API at a time.
If you’re a developer or a city planner and want to bring these ideas to your own streets, this is the moment to get involved. Well-planned hackathons are the launchpads that turn hidden city data into smarter streets and happier drivers.
Conclusion
From hours spent circling blocks to the breakthrough of smart parking alerts, the Ford Mobility Hackathon proved what focused collaboration can achieve. When strong hackathon planning meets real-world data and a diverse community, practical urban mobility solutions follow. Whether you’re organizing a hackathon or building the next big travel app, remember: your data is only as powerful as the people—and the ideas—you inspire.
Ready to take your hackathon to the next level? Get all the steps you need for planning and execution in our comprehensive guide to organizing a successful hackathon. Join the movement for smarter, cleaner, and more accessible cities—one event at a time.
