CityfixAi

Citizens upload a photo of a pothole,broken streetlight, garbage pile, or water leak. AI identifies the issue,shows it on a map, and generates a ready-to-send complaint for the local authority.

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Inspiration

CityFixAI was inspired by the everyday urban challenges faced by people — from broken streetlights to potholes and waste management issues. The goal was to build a platform that empowers citizens to report problems easily and helps authorities respond faster, making cities smarter and more livable.

What it does

  • Users can submit complaints through a simple interface.
  • Complaints are displayed on an interactive map for better visualization.
  • Admins can manage and update complaints efficiently through a dedicated dashboard

How we built it

  • Frontend: React + Vite
  • Backend: Node.js + Express
  • Database: MongoDB
  • Hosting: Render (backend) and Vercel (frontend)

Challenges we ran into

I faced several technical hurdles while building CityFixAI:

  • The website initially wasn’t working.
  • Connecting the database to both backend and frontend was difficult.
  • Debugging API calls and deployment issues took time.

Each challenge helped me learn more about full‑stack development and environment configuration.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Successfully built a working prototype of CityFixAI that connects frontend and backend.
  • Implemented complaint submission, visualization on an interactive map, and an admin dashboard for status updates.
  • Overcame major technical hurdles like fixing API calls, connecting the database, and deploying both frontend and backend on Vercel and Render.
  • Created a foundation for a scalable solution to urban challenges, which can be expanded into a commercial product.

What we learned

How to integrate a React (Vite) frontend with a Node.js/Express backend and MongoDB database.

  • The importance of environment variables for secure API connections and smooth deployment.
  • How to implement role-based access control so that normal users and admins have different panels.
  • Debugging and deployment skills — especially handling issues where the website wasn’t working or the database wasn’t connecting.
  • That building a demo/prototype is just the first step; scaling it for real-world use requires planning for performance, security, and additional features.

What's next for CityfixAi

CityFixAI is currently a prototype/demo model. For commercial or real‑world deployment, we plan to enhance the website with advanced features such as:

  • Real‑time notifications for complaint updates.
  • AI‑based categorization of issues.
  • Integration with municipal systems for automated task assignment.
  • Mobile app support for citizens and field workers.

This demo lays the foundation for a scalable, impactful solution to urban challenges.

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