This year I had the exciting opportunity to participate in the ECCE App Challenge competing with schools across the country to solve a theme-based problem using Esri technology. Working with teammates Ben Schoening and Vincent Liu, I was able to apply knowledge from GIS coursework to develop a hands-on web app using Experience Builder and ArcGIS Online. This challenge provided a practical way to gain experience meeting tight deadlines, solving problems, and collaborating within a team.

This year’s topic was based on affordability and sustainable economies. The topic gives teams the ability to be creative and address issues that are important to them. In my case, this was relevant to many of the current challenges people face in Metro Vancouver and was a unique opportunity to address issues of affordability using spatial data.

The team I was a part of drew inspiration from the MIT Living Wage Calculator which determines an hourly rate households should earn to support themselves across cities in the USA. We wanted to develop something that could help families and individuals find affordable cities in Metro Vancouver using a similar concept. However, unlike other online calculators, we accounted for variables such as family size and transportation modes which could drastically change the cost of living in a city.

My favourite part of this challenge was working with data and extending the base capabilities of Experience Builder using custom widgets. Being able to dynamically calculate city affordability added a new dimension to the way users interpreted our data. By leveraging Python, I could process the data we had collected, cleaning it and calculating additional variables used in determining a living wage value. With the integration of custom JavaScript widgets on the web application, the data was easily made available in calculating information for user specific incomes. Learning how to implement the data using a JavaScript widget gave me a deeper understanding of the capabilities Experience builder has, and its versatility in future projects.

To anyone looking to further develop their skills in GIS, I would highly encourage taking part in the App Challenge. It’s a great way to learn and test your skills beyond the classroom.