CityOptima, a next-generation asset management platform co-founded by Amir Fard and Ali Ghobadzadeh, participants in Hack the World: Analyze & Design, a program hosted by the Innovation Boost Zone.
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“Safer communities, more resilient infrastructure, and sustainable cities for everyone.”
That’s the mission behind CityOptima , a next-generation asset management platform co-founded by Amir Fard and Ali Ghobadzadeh, participants in Hack the World: Analyze & Design, a program hosted by the Innovation Boost Zone.
CityOptima tackles a major challenge faced by municipalities across Canada, North America, and beyond: inefficient infrastructure planning and management. Their web-based platform helps cities track, model, and optimize their assets through a user-friendly interface that supports data-driven investment decisions, budget planning, and lifecycle extension for infrastructure.
With advanced features like automatic data validation, capital investment forecasting, and GIS-integrated analysis, CityOptima transforms complex municipal data into actionable insights. The platform also harnesses the power of AI to generate predictive models, empowering city planners and decision-makers to work smarter and more sustainably.
During the Hack the World: Analyze & Design bootcamp, the CityOptima team transformed their vision into a fully functional prototype, demonstrating how technology can address urgent, global challenges. Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), CityOptima built a solution that directly contributes to Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and Goal 13 (Climate Action).
By focusing on building resilient infrastructure, enabling inclusive and sustainable urban development, and supporting climate resilience, CityOptima exemplifies the core mission of Hack the World: empowering innovators to create solutions with real-world, global impact.
“My experience with Hack the World was amazing,” Amir states. “The program allowed us to think about our solution from a different perspective.”
In addition to being chosen for the Hack The World program, CityOptima was also selected as winner of the Norman Esch Awards, receiving $25,000 in funding to support the growth of their startup and expand the platform’s impact, bringing this game-changing solution closer to reality and driving positive change in cities and communities.
The competition was fierce, featuring standout finalists who pushed the boundaries of sustainable fabrication. Notable projects included TREAD / 01 (by Myrah Mohammed and Lynn John-Koshy), The Helitack Chair (by Thalia Arkuszewski, Gavin Brown, and Joey He), Taking the Edge Off (by Emma Wood, Alicia Unwin, and Kaylee Mikalauskas), and Λｌｃｏｖｅ (by Enakshi Chatterjee and Riddhi Bilakhia).
At the heart of Reclaiming Future was a commitment to sustainability as both a mindset and a method. Students were encouraged to think critically about consumption, waste, and design lifecycles, engaging directly with principles of circular design. Rather than seeing materials as disposable, they were challenged to view them as resources—full of untapped potential.
This transformation didn’t happen in isolation. The project was supported by the Design Fabrication Zone at the Student Learning Centre, an accessible makerspace where students gained access to tools, training, and mentorship. For many participants, this meant stepping into entirely new territory—learning how to safely operate equipment, experimenting with fabrication techniques, and translating conceptual ideas into tangible forms.
For competition winner Nehir Korkmaz, the structured support was a highlight of the experience.
"Workshops were very well planned, and everyone involved was highly knowledgeable," Korkmaz shared. "I learned a great deal throughout the process thanks to these workshops. They not only helped me with this competition, but also gave me valuable knowledge for my future studies."
That learning curve became a central part of the exhibit. Students weren’t just creating final products; they were building the confidence to lead the next generation of sustainable design.
What made the showcase particularly compelling was its emphasis on narrative. Like in a fullbodied art exhibition, each piece invited viewers to reflect on its journey: Where did this material come from? What idea does it convey? And what might it become next? In this way, Reclaiming the Future extended beyond a showcase—it became a conversation about how we assign value, and how we might rethink our relationship with the objects that surround us.
Ultimately, Reclaiming the Future was a reminder that meaningful climate action doesn’t always begin with sweeping changes. Sometimes, it starts with a single material, a new skill, or a shift in perspective. With the right support and space to explore, those small beginnings can grow into something transformative.
At TMU, that transformation is already underway: one project, one story, and one reclaimed future at a time.
