Proximity

• 

  map view

• 

  inbox

• 

  nearby chat

Inspiration

Meeting people nearby shouldn't require already knowing them.

We wanted to make it easier to discover people, activities, and events happening around you.

Proximity is built around connecting people through location and shared interests.

What it does

Nearby: Discover people around you.

Explore: Find nearby activities and events.

Create: Organize events for people in your area.

Chat: Communicate with nearby people.

Profiles: Give people a way to represent themselves.

How we built it

Frontend: Mobile app interface.

Backend: Python, FastAPI.

Database: PostgreSQL 17 with PostGIS 3.5.

Architecture: Location-aware backend with spatial database queries.

Infrastructure: Self-hosted backend on Debian.

Challenges we ran into

Building location-based features that work together.

Designing event rules around location and attendance.

Making nearby chat readable in both light and dark mode.

Keeping the backend reliable while handling location-based data.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a location-focused social app with multiple connected features.

Implemented a backend using PostgreSQL and PostGIS.

Developed event rules that account for the organizer's physical presence.

Worked toward a cohesive experience across discovery, events, and chat.

What we learned

How to structure a location-aware application.

How spatial databases support proximity-based features.

How frontend behavior and backend rules need to work together.

How to test edge cases instead of only the ideal user flow.

What's next for Proximity

Finish polishing the core user experience.

Improve location accuracy and reliability.

Complete deployment and test the app end-to-end.

Expand discovery and event features based on user feedback.

Built With

• dart
• fastapi
• flutter
• postgis
• postgresql
• python