Open Cities has just launched a new call-out to take part in the Open Data Tourism Hack at Home challenge (http://opencities.hackathome.com), a project focused on encouraging the creation of mobile apps to help cities to better manage the challenges and benefits of tourism.

The project, dedicated to Open Data and Sensor Networks, will allow  Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Helsinki, Paris, Rome and Bologna to benefit from the talents of app creators to find solutions for managing tourism in the urban space. One of the main goals of the challenge is to develop apps that can minimize the impact of mass tourism on the city and its inhabitants. For example, the Open Data Tourism Hack at Home is looking for mobile technology solutions that will allow residents to connect with visitors, improve and personalize tourist itineraries, optimize the time for visits and improve the opportunities for tourists to move around the city during their stay.

The winning app will receive a 3.000 € award app and a nomination for the Mobile Premier Awards, the most prestigious awards in the app industry.  The app that best uses systems of Open Data and Sensor Networks in participating cities will also be recognized, alongside the most voted-for app by the public.

By participating in the  Open Data Tourism Hack at Home challenge, developers will have the opportunity to turn their ideas into working apps through the Hack at Home platform, which allows participants to present their ideas, form teams with like-minded designers, developers and coders and get the help of expert mentors to build apps for the participating cities.

From today, anyone interested in taking part in the challenge can pre-register at the Open Data Tourism Hack at Home challenge website. From May 13, participants can send their ideas for apps, start building teams and receive feedback from the mentors.

At the same time, Open Cities has also launched in parallel a call for larger solutions, services or technologies related to the same Tourism issues, to participate to its Urban Lab Challenge (http://opencities.net/urban_lab_challenge). This is a challenge focused on using the city resources for experimentation with innovative software or other project in a real urban environment. The winner of this challenge will get €3000 prize and the support and guidance of the city of Barcelona to implement his proposal.

APPS&CULTURA is exploring the potential of apps to give a new impulse to culture in all its aspects, from the traditional arts to scientific culture and technology.The first APPS&CULTURA, focusing on Barcelona, will give App makers the chance to develop their ideas into working apps with the help of expert mentors on our Hack at Home platform. Start building! #appscultura

¿Te imaginas una app que te permita ver la cultura en la ciudad con otros ojos? Acabamos de poner en marcha APPS&CULTURA, un proyecto que busca aprovechar el talento de los creadores de apps para apoyar a los artistas y dar un nuevo impulso a la cultura en todas sus vertientes: artes tradicionales y cultura tecnológica y científica. Para ello, hemos puesto a vuestra disposición la plataforma Hack at Home ¡Empieza a construir! #appscultura

Te invitamos a que compartas con nosotros el próximo martes 19 de marzo, a partir de las 19.00 horas, en la sala de actos del Edificio MediaTIC (calle Roc Boronat, 117, Barcelona), la presentación a profesionales del nuevo apps4bcn.cat, el portal de las mejores apps para vivir y disfrutar de la ciudad. Durante esta breve presentación abierta a preguntas, podrás conocer los detalles del nuevo portal y las oportunidades que ofrece para los creadores de aplicaciones y profesionales del sector. Regístrate aquí

Programa:

19.00 h Presentación del acto a cargo de Barcelona Activa

19.10 h Presentación de la estrategia de movilidad del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, a cargo de Sergi Jerez, director de e-Administración del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona

19.20 h Presentación del portal Apps4bcn.cat, a cargo de Carles Ferreiro, co-founder de Dotopen

19.30 h Q & A

20.00 h Cierre del acto

Puedes consultar el vídeo de presentación de apps4bcn aquí

The Mobile Premier Awards 2013 have come to a close with three apps taking the top prizes: Atooma from Italy took the prestigious Jury Award, Grabbity, from Colombia was voted as the favourite app by the public via Twitter for the Audience Award, and Denare was chosen for the AppCircus Ringmasters' Award, the prize given by AppCircus event organizers worldwide.

This year, more than ever, the event highlighted the creativity and inspiration of all the app makers who made it to the final with some really great apps. A big thanks to everyone who took part in the Mobile Premier Awards, and to all the app makers who have been involved in AppCircus events throughout the year. A big thank you also goes out to our jury, who had the difficult job of choosing the winner, and to everyone who helped to make this such a great occasion.

See you next year!