Community challenges
Each of these is a real Harpenden problem, framed as a resident-led AI project. None need the council to build anything. They need the council to help us signal that they’re worth doing - and to connect the people who can run them.
Participate
Drag-equivalent buttons. Re-order the list to match how you’d prioritise Harpenden’s first community AI projects. This is a vision document - today this lives in your browser. When we launch, it will feed directly into the town’s live project queue.
Model the impact of planned builds on school-run routes, Southdown and the A1081, using open traffic and planning data.
Match residents to local groups, clubs and regular meetups using a warm, opt-in AI concierge built with Age UK Herts.
A living directory of hirable halls, rooms and gardens - searchable by size, price, date, and vibe.
A resident-reported pothole map with AI-generated repair-priority scoring, routed into the council highways workflow.
Translate council papers, meetings and decisions into plain-English digests so every resident can meaningfully take part.
Sherpas AI work-experience cohorts - Harpenden teens shipping real AI tools for local businesses over the summer.
Every independent on the high street gets one hour with an AI coach and a shortlist of AI tools that save them a day a week.
Weekly drop-in AI clinics at the Leisure Centre and Library - warm, patient, jargon-free, and deliberately slow.
Harpenden has brilliant venues hiding in plain sight - halls, studios, churches, gardens, cafes out-of-hours. A resident-built directory, maintained by the community, searchable by a simple AI concierge.
Why this one: Solves an everyday frustration. Builds the community habit of using AI together.
Likely owner: Community working group + local venues
First iteration: A 50-venue pilot directory, in 4 weeks.
Model the traffic impact of proposed developments on Southdown, the A1081 and the school-run network using open planning and transport data. Show residents the numbers, clearly.
Why this one: Gives residents an evidence-led voice in planning conversations that too often feel opaque.
Likely owner: Open data + council planning officers
First iteration: See the /harpenden-traffic worked prototype.
A warm, opt-in AI concierge that knows every club, group and drop-in in town - and can match a resident to three things happening this week that would actually suit them.
Why this one: Community Life Survey data shows loneliness rises sharply for over-75s. Harpenden has a large 65+ cohort and a huge number of clubs; the gap is matching.
Likely owner: Age UK Herts + community groups
First iteration: Pilot at the Leisure Centre and the Library, summer 2026.
A resident-reported pothole map with AI-generated priority scoring - rolled into the council’s highways workflow rather than bolted on to it.
Why this one: A small, tangible win that proves AI + civic reporting can work end-to-end.
Likely owner: Council highways + resident volunteers
First iteration: WhatsApp bot + shared map, September 2026.
Translate every council paper, minute and decision into a plain-English digest - searchable by street, topic, and impact on you. Close the gap between the council and the parts of town that never engage.
Why this one: The single highest-leverage civic-AI project we could run. Its output compounds every week.
Likely owner: Harpenden Town Council + civic volunteers
First iteration: A weekly digest pilot for the next three council meetings.
Sherpas AI - Harpenden edition. Summer work-experience cohorts where 15–18-year-olds ship AI tools for real Harpenden organisations, coached by local alumni.
Why this one: Hands-on experience is worth ten hours of theory. Proves to parents that the alternative path is already real.
Likely owner: Sherpas AI + Harpenden Secondary Schools Trust
First iteration: Summer 2026 cohort, 15 teens, 3 shipped tools.
Every independent on the high street gets one hour with an AI coach and a shortlist of AI moves that buy them back a day a week - no SaaS bloat, no hype.
Why this one: Protects the most visible part of the town’s identity. Compounds quickly.
Likely owner: Harpenden independents + AI Optimist
First iteration: 20-business pilot with the Small-Business AI Opportunity Diagnostic.
Weekly drop-in AI clinics at the Leisure Centre and Library. Warm, patient, jargon-free, deliberately slow. Tea included.
Why this one: Meets scared and reluctant residents where they are. Builds trust the rest of the programme depends on.
Likely owner: Volunteer coaches + local partners
First iteration: Two weekly clinics, starting first week of the festival.
The frame
They need the council to help us convene residents, signal that community AI projects are welcome, and share the data they’re willing to share. The residents do the rest.