The Role of Citythons and Orlegi’s Impact
Citythons, a type of hackathon designed by CARNET specifically to tackle urban and mobility challenges, have become key in fostering innovation. During the past years, these competitions have been a catalyst for transformative solutions, bringing together professionals from the sector to solve collaboratively the issues that cities face today. And sometimes, the designed solutions keep evolving after the hackathon, turning into realities for cities. A couple of years after the celebration of Citython NEB 2022, the minds behind Orlegi, a groundbreaking public participation app revolutionizing urban planning, keep developing their project.
Elixabet Peciña Ortiz, a sustainability enthusiast and experienced product designer, Gorka Pradas, an IT Engineer and Vice President of the Spanish Federation of Micromobility, and Geraldine Sulca, a visionary architect from Peru and co-founder of Latam Sostenible, formed one of the winning teams from that Citython edition. In this interview, they share insights into the inception, challenges, and triumphs of Orlegi, shedding light on how this innovative app is plans to reshape citizen engagement, green infrastructure, and the future of urban mobility.
- Can you provide a brief description of Orlegi and its main objectives?
Elixabet: Orlegi is a public participation app that connects citizens to Municipalities to create more liveable cities together. It allows citizens to design the city as they wish and send their proposals to the municipality workers. Like this, the urban planning department of the Municipality can collect the proposals from the citizens and take them into account before making changes in the city. It helps to improve the use of resources and the belonging feeling of the citizens.
- What inspired you to participate in the NEB Citython 2022?
Gorka: I was inspired by the idea of taking the concept of ‘Metrominuto‘ to the next level, a tool used to graphically represent important points in a city and how far and how long it takes to walk from one point to another.
- How do these opportunities provide a platform to solve city challenges?
Geraldine: Many individuals possess revolutionary ideas that could transform society, yet often lack the necessary support. These programs, platforms, and institutions not only provide financial assistance but also convey the message, ‘I believe in your ideas and in you,’ which serves as a powerful encouragement for us to give our best efforts.
- How did the idea for Orlegi come about, and what motivated your team to address green infrastructures in cities?
Elixabet: If I remember correctly, I think we had to decide in which challenge we wanted to participate when applying for the hackathon. I personally felt more identified with this one as I have always liked city design and thinking to improve the cities and make them more liveable for people. Once we teamed up we started to think about the challenge of creating green roads to walk around the city during heat waves. We thought that the people living in each area would probably be the ones who knew the best roads. Talking about that idea with the mentors took us step by step to a platform where everyone could design the streets as they wished.
- Can you share some key challenges your team faced during the competitions, and how did you overcome them?
Gorka: Task management was generally straightforward as we could complement each other when someone was unavailable. However, the most significant challenge was simultaneous communication as the three of us lived on different ends of the world. Nevertheless, that did not deter us, and we found solutions and flexibility to work together.
- Were there any specific technologies or methodologies that played a crucial role in the development?
Geraldine: In the process of designing the app, we delved into Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and Photogrammetry, and how these tools have been utilized in the international market of apps and startups. We ultimately opted to incorporate Virtual Reality and continued to explore the implementation process.
- In the context of green infrastructures, what are some common challenges faced by municipalities, and how does Orlegi aim to address them?
Elixabet: The lack of greenery in general. There can be some big green areas but some other streets are mainly made of concrete so we think bringing access to green areas to every citizen around their houses is very important to improve their life quality.
- Can you share any specific success stories or impactful outcomes resulting from the implementation of Orlegi?
Gorka: We conducted a pilot participation project in Vitoria-Gasteiz, where there was a significant number of interested people. From there, we gathered many ideas about several streets we proposed and conveyed them to the relevant technicians.
- How has the collaboration been between your team and municipalities? Have you faced any challenges or enjoyed particular successes in this regard?
Geraldine: In the context of the European Union, reaching out to municipalities often proves easier compared to establishing and maintaining contact with municipalities in Latin America, as I’ve experienced first-hand.
- What are the future plans for Orlegi? Are there any new features or enhancements in the pipeline?
Elixabet: For the moment we will continue in two different ways. From one side, Geraldine will continue the idea in Peru and I will continue with it mainly in Finland but also follow up with the first steps we did in Vitoria. The next milestone would be to create a functional MVP developing all the software.
- Beyond the participation in the NEB Citython 2022, what lessons has your team learned from the development and implementation of Orlegi?
Gorka: Having clear ideas and sharing them to progress rapidly is crucial. The NEB Citython 2022 helped us better understand the realities we wanted to address and create a suitable solution for them.
- How do you believe participating in hackathons, such as the NEB Citython, contributes to the development and refinement of innovative solutions like Orlegi?
Geraldine: Yes, it opens the door to innovative ideas and encourages young people to put their creativity to the test by developing their own projects, thus contributing to society.
- Have you found that participating in hackathons has facilitated connections with mentors, experts, or potential collaborators who have contributed to the success of Orlegi?
Elixabet: Totally! It’s completely different going to talk to someone about an idea you have on your own or having a partner institution behind supporting your idea. Joining the EIT and being part of their network has opened a lot of doors for us.
- What advice would you give to people who aspires to develop innovative solutions for societal challenges, especially in the context of urban mobility?
Gorka: Passion and enthusiasm for advancing the project are crucial. Even if it may be similar to other existing options, you are responsible for making your solution even better.
Through the collaborative efforts of Elixabet, Gorka, and Geraldine, Orlegi is emerging as a powerful tool, fostering citizen engagement and propelling the creation of more sustainable cities. By facilitating connections between innovators, mentors, and experts, these initiatives create fruitful ecosystems of knowledge exchange and collaboration. The success story of Orlegi illustrates the impact of initiatives like Citythons in driving forward innovation in the areas of urban mobility and city planning.
More info about the people behind Orlegi:
Elixabet Peciña Ortiz: Elixabet is a product and service designer with an experienced background in industrial design. Passionate about sustainability, circular economy and human centre design. She focused on user research and adapting the products to the customer’s needs. Originally from Vitoria-Gasteiz she currently lives in Finland and is open for new challenges.
Gorka Pradas: IT Engineer and studying at the EIT Master’s in Urban Mobility, he has been working into pioneer projects in Vitoria-Gasteiz’s BRT-BEi line and Barcelona’s automatic Metro Line 9. Moreover, he is the actual Vice President of the Spanish Federation of Micromobility (FEVEMP) and developer of the ‘Lasai-Lasai’ Last-Mile Logistics concept.
Geraldine Sulca: a visionary architect hailing from Peru, deeply immersed in the realms of urbanism, design, and urban planning. Co-founder of the impactful NGO, Latam Sostenible, she works with Sustainable Development Goals, leading transformative projects in tactical urbanism. Moreover, she proudly stands as a co-founder of ORLEGI, poised to revolutionize urban landscapes across Latin America.
