Economy

We Went to 'Form-a-Palooza,' a Hackathon For Better Paperwork

D.C.’s new innovation lab wanted to redesign red tape, and the city’s wonks were eager to help.
Attendees to the D.C. city government's Form-a-Palooza waved a city flag if they had a question while redesigning a few of the city's most frustrating forms.Gracie McKenzie/CityLab

On a punishingly hot Saturday morning in July, dozens of D.C. residents filed into a college auditorium to talk about paperwork.

Not to fill anything out, mind you. No one was sacrificing an opportunity to snooze on a blistering summer weekend morning for the sake of checking a major chore off the list.