Building the Toolbox
At Code for Dayton, we believe in "building the toolbox" - identifying the right tools to solve civic problems, developing capability with those tools, and using them consistently across projects. Our toolbox is always growing as we discover new technologies and approaches that help us create more effective solutions for our community.
This page documents the tools we've found most valuable in our civic hacking work. Whether you're new to the group or a seasoned volunteer, this serves as a reference for the technologies we use and recommend.
Learning Together: One of our core goals is training people in relevant skills through civic service projects. We welcome diverse skillsets and experience levels - if there's something you want to learn, we'll try to find a place for you to develop that skill while contributing to meaningful community projects. Our civic tech work provides real-world learning opportunities where you can grow your abilities while making a positive impact.
Development Tools
GitHub
Version control and collaboration platform for all our code projects. Essential for managing contributions from multiple volunteers and maintaining project history.
Our GitHubVisual Studio Code
Lightweight, extensible code editor with excellent support for web development, Python, and most languages we use in civic tech projects.
DownloadJekyll
Static site generator (powers this website!) - great for creating documentation sites, project pages, and simple web applications.
Learn MoreData Analysis & Visualization
Python
Versatile programming language excellent for data analysis, web scraping, and automation. Key libraries include pandas, matplotlib, and requests.
Get StartedJupyter Notebooks
Interactive computing environment perfect for data exploration, analysis, and sharing reproducible research with stakeholders.
Try JupyterMapping & GIS
QGIS
Open-source Geographic Information System for analyzing spatial data, creating maps, and understanding geographic patterns in civic data. Read about our experience using QGIS for environmental contamination mapping.
DownloadLeaflet
JavaScript library for interactive web maps. Lightweight and mobile-friendly, perfect for embedding maps in civic applications.
DocumentationCommunication & Collaboration
Discord
Our primary communication platform for real-time chat, voice meetings, and project coordination.
Join UsProject Management
GitHub Projects
Integrated project management within GitHub for tracking issues, milestones, and project progress.
FeaturesInfrastructure & Hosting
Digital Ocean
Reliable cloud infrastructure for hosting applications and databases. We consistently return to Digital Ocean for its simplicity, predictable pricing, and excellent documentation.
Learn MoreGitHub Pages
Free static site hosting directly from GitHub repositories. Perfect for project documentation, simple websites, and Jekyll sites like this one.
Get StartedRailway
Modern platform for deploying applications with minimal configuration. Great for quickly prototyping and deploying civic tech solutions. Simple configuration for cron jobs makes it ideal for automated data collection and processing tasks.
Deploy NowHelp Us Grow the Toolbox
Found a tool that's been game-changing for civic tech work? We'd love to hear about it! Reach out to us on Discord or email to suggest additions to our toolbox.
We're particularly interested in tools that:
- Are open source or have generous free tiers
- Have good documentation and learning resources
- Scale well for volunteer-driven projects
- Solve common civic tech challenges