last updated: 1/6/2026

CivicKit

Open source civic engagement platform for reporting issues and organizing community action.

Project Status

In Development - Capstone II Project (Spring 2026)

Team

• Briana Huelsman - Project Lead
• [Names as people join]

Tech Stack

• Mobile: React Native (Expo)
• Web: React + Vite
• Backend: Node.js + Express + TypeScript
• Database: PostgreSQL + PostGIS
• Image Storage: Cloudinary

Documentation

• Setup Guide
• Architecture
• Contributing
• API Docs

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+: https://nodejs.org/en/download and install tools for native modules check installation with npm -v
• PostgreSQL 15+ with PostGIS enabled

Running the Project Locally

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/your-org/civickit.git
cd civickit

2. backend .env example

PG_USER=postgres
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/civickit"
JWT_SECRET="your-super-secret-jwt-key-change-this"
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME="your-cloud-name"
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY="your-api-key"
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET="your-api-secret"
PORT=3000

cd backend
npm run dev
http://localhost:3000

License

MIT License