John Barlow

Problem statement: There is a gap between the capacity of residents and local government officials and what is required of them for local government questions and processes. I call it the Local Government Trust Gap. As a former City Manager and current community developer, I encounter a lot of mistrust between people and their government. Most people meet their government at the local level, in small offices where residents aren't bureaucrats and officials aren't administrative experts. Zoning codes are long and technical and touch people's most basic property rights, so a simple request like splitting a lot can turn confusing and personal on both sides. Project description: CityCenter is a virtual city help desk that closes the Local Government Trust Gap by carrying the technical work for both sides. A resident talks to cartoon AI desk characters in their own words, by typing or speaking. To split a lot, they can draw on a GIS map with aerial photo, parcel, street and zoning layers, upload a hand drawing, or simply describe it. CityCenter turns that into a clean, to-scale concept site plan: rough strokes become straight, measured lines, the new lots are worked out, and existing buildings are found on the aerial photo. It recognizes shapes like a flag lot and brings in that part of the code. The desk then researches the town's real code, all 865 sections, with every quote checked against the stored text. It fills out a city-style application, keeps a checklist of what is still needed, and lets the resident attach documents, sign and submit. City officials get a four-step workspace: what was submitted, the code that applies, a point-by-point review with the exact code text, and a return letter written from their own decisions. Nine department desks work, across 28 services, at three levels of help: information, a certified question answered in writing by staff, and a formal application. The AI never recommends a decision, predicts an outcome or rates a person. Only real city officials decide. Judges Link: https://citycenter-puh5.onrender.com/judge?code=CVATgtCA-l0UQW6AEYCU Public Link: https://citycenter-puh5.onrender.com/