RVA311
Overview & Architecture
Discovery & API Mapping
GIS Integration Architecture
Usability Validation
React Native Development
Municipal Launch
ClearSummit understood that this wasn't just a mobile app—it was civic infrastructure. They approached the GIS integration and request deduplication challenges with the rigor those systems demand.
Technical Challenges
Municipal-Scale Location Intelligence
Civic technology operates under constraints that consumer apps don't face. Every location must resolve to a serviceable address. Every request must route to the correct department. Every failure mode must be graceful enough for non-technical users in emergency situations.
GIS-First Location Resolution
Consumer apps can accept approximate locations. Municipal systems cannot—a pothole report must resolve to an exact street address that city crews can find. We built a dual-layer location system that combines Google Maps for user interface with the city's authoritative GIS for address validation and service routing.
Request Deduplication Engine
Duplicate reports waste city resources and frustrate citizens. We implemented spatial clustering algorithms that identify similar requests within proximity thresholds, surfacing them to users before submission. The upvoting system channels citizen frustration into signal rather than noise.
Legacy API Orchestration
AvePoint's backend evolved over years of municipal deployments. The mobile layer needed to accommodate HTML-formatted alerts, dynamic iconography, and conditional field logic—all while maintaining performance on the density of requests a zoomed-out city map generates.
Platform Architecture
Civic Technology Done Right
311 platforms serve four stakeholders simultaneously: citizens who need problems solved, city workers who need actionable information, administrators who need operational visibility, and the municipality that needs efficient resource allocation. Every architectural decision had to balance these competing requirements.
Citizen-First Request Flow
Service request submission needed to be faster than calling 311 while capturing more structured data. We designed a progressive disclosure flow that minimizes friction while maximizing information quality—conditional fields, smart defaults, and photo capture that automatically extracts location metadata.
Anonymous vs. Authenticated States
Citizens need to report issues their neighbors might see—abandoned vehicles, property code violations—without social consequences. We architected dual submission paths with appropriate data visibility, encouraging account creation for tracking without requiring it for participation.
Offline-Resilient Architecture
Cell coverage varies across any city. The app caches service categories, recent requests, and user drafts locally—enabling request composition in dead zones with automatic submission when connectivity returns. Citizens shouldn't lose a detailed report to a network timeout.
Real-Time Request Synchronization
Citizens want to know their request was received and is being addressed. We implemented push notification pipelines that surface status changes as they occur in the backend—from submission acknowledgment through resolution confirmation.
Civic Infrastructure at Scale
Build Civic Technology That Works
Municipal systems, location intelligence, complex stakeholder requirements—we've navigated it all. Let's talk about your platform.