The Rice University Urban Sustainability Hackathon

The Hack will address the high-level problem of: How can US cities optimize their sustainability performance (Resource Optimization) for hosting large sporting/ General events (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), leveraging FIFA World Cup 2026 as a specific case? Track 1: Transportation & Access: Build a FIFA 2026 Host City Mobility Readiness Platform that predicts visitor movement, identifies first/last-mile gaps, compares transportation resilience across host cities, and recommends investments, transit solutions and traffic management strategies that improve access, reduce emissions, and relieves traffic. Track 2: Energy–Food–Water Nexus: Develop a FIFA 2026 Resource Intelligence Platform that quantifies and visualizes the Energy–Food–Water footprint of visitors, venues, hotels, and districts across all 11 U.S. host cities, while identifying the highest-impact sustainability interventions. Track 3: Public Health & the Built Environment: Identify locations where visitor activity, urban heat islands, and climate risks overlap to support heat mitigation and public health interventions during FIFA 2026. Track 4: High Intensity Corridors & Future Growth Districts: Develop a data-driven classification system that identifies and maps urban corridors, districts, and communities based on their economic intensity, mobility patterns, land use characteristics, and development potential. The key objective is to enable US cities to move from baseline to idea when hosting mega events. Participants will be introduced to the problem space through existing (or the lack of) sustainability performance measurement frameworks, blueprints for hosting major events, and data sets that are leveraged to shape how US cities address sustainability/ resource efficiency during FIFA 2026. Participants will then leverage the UNLEASH Innovation Methodology to frame a more detailed problem statement, and to ideate and prototype solutions using a user-centered design and innovation approach. They will be guided through the innovation process by UNLEASH Secretariat members and Facilitators. Teams will pitch a solution idea that helps US cities optimize their sustainability performance while hosting large events, and specifically for FIFA World Cup 2026 events. Develop an interactive data visualization that reveals how urban sustainability strategies could affect citywide outcomes based on your chosen track. The deliverable should combine data with clear maps, charts, and scenario comparisons, enabling decision-makers and residents to explore tradeoffs, identify priority areas, and understand the measurable impact of proposed interventions over time. Kick Off Workshop on Tuesday, June 23 – Wednesday June 24th, 2026 at The ION, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX. Meals will be provided. The Kickoff workshop will be hosted at the Rice ION Building. During this event, UNLEASH will train participants on their world class methodologies. Attendance is not mandatory but will help prepare you to successfully develop your innovations. Attendees become eligible to join the UNLEASH world class network of fellows. Participants that cannot attend will be able to watch a recording of the kickoff workshop. Rice University is bringing UNLEASH from Copenhagen, Denmark to host a workshop as part of this HACK. UNLEASH has equipped +9000 young changemakers from +180 countries with the skills, mindset, and community to tackle pressing challenges with empathy, creativity, and resilience. Their Innovation Labs, Hacks, and Innovation Hub programs bring together youth with diverse lived experiences and cross-sector perspectives, and provide them with intensive, hands-on learning that allows them to drive impact and change in their communities. Teams graduating from this HACK will have the opportunity to join the UNLEASH international community of sustainability tech practitioners. We will be providing work space for participating teams during the 2-day kickoff event. Attendance is not mandatory. Legacy Outcomes: Build systems thinking and innovation skills: Through hands-on application of the UNLEASH Innovation Methodology, participants learn to navigate complexity, frame problems effectively, and develop solutions grounded in real-world contexts. Develop an entrepreneurial mindset and resilience: Participants break down complex sustainability challenges into actionable opportunities, building the confidence and adaptability needed to drive change across sectors and communities. Practice diverse, collaborative thinking: By working in cross-disciplinary teams, participants learn to engage diverse perspectives and challenge conventional approaches, fostering the kind of inclusive innovation that leads to more impactful ideas.