SF Trip Planner

Product Introduction

1. Definition: SF Trip Planner is an open-source web application built on Next.js 15, React 19, and TypeScript, designed as a centralized San Francisco trip planning platform. It integrates event aggregation, location curation, collaborative scheduling, and real-time crime heatmaps into a single interface.
2. Core Value Proposition: It eliminates the friction of juggling multiple tabs/apps for SF trip planning by unifying event discovery (Luma, Eventbrite), spot curation (blogs, maps, chats), safety verification (SFPD crime data), and itinerary export (Google Calendar/iCal) in one tool.

Main Features

1. Unified Interactive Map:
   • How it works: Aggregates events (orange pins), spots (teal/pink pins), and crime data on a Google Maps API layer. Users toggle layers (events, eat, bar, crime heatmap) and view route lines with time estimates.
   • Tech stack: Google Maps API + Convex real-time database + Tailwind CSS v4 for UI.
2. Live Crime Heatmap Overlay:
   • How it works: Pulls incident data from SFPD, Safemap, and CivicHub APIs to generate real-time crime density visualizations. Heatmap toggles on/off to assess neighborhood safety for specific times.
   • Tech stack: Public API integrations + Firecrawl for data ingestion.
3. Curated Spots & Event Conflict Detection:
   • How it works: Users import spots (restaurants, cafes) from any source (blogs, chats, maps) and tag categories. The calendar view automatically highlights scheduling conflicts (e.g., overlapping events) and shows daily event density.
   • Tech stack: React 19 drag-and-drop + Lucide Icons + Convex for state management.
4. Collaborative Planning & Calendar Export:
   • How it works: Teams create shared "planner rooms" to coordinate schedules without conflicts. Exports final itineraries to Google Calendar/iCal via ICS files.
   • Tech stack: Convex for multiplayer sync + OAuth for calendar integrations.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Fragmented planning across 50+ tabs (Eventbrite, Google Maps, blogs, chats) leading to overlooked events, lost recommendations, and safety blind spots.
2. Target Audience:
   • SF tourists optimizing limited time.
   • Group travelers coordinating itineraries.
   • Locals discovering events/venues safely.
3. Use Cases:
   • Avoiding unsafe neighborhoods at night via live crime heatmaps.
   • Rescheduling conflicting events detected by calendar highlights.
   • Syncing group plans to Google Calendar pre-arrival.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike generic trip apps (Google Trips), it combines SF-specific crime data, multi-source event aggregation, and collaborative editing—addressing SF’s unique safety/logistical challenges.
2. Key Innovation: Overlaying real-time SFPD crime heatmaps directly on event/spot maps—eliminating cross-referencing with external safety tools.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How accurate is the SF crime heatmap?
   Data sources include SFPD’s official crime dashboard, Safemap’s block-level density analysis, and CivicHub’s community reports—updated in near real-time.
2. Can I use SF Trip Planner with friends?
   Yes, create a shared planner room to view/edit schedules collaboratively without overwriting each other’s events.
3. Is this a mobile app or web tool?
   It’s a progressive web app (PWA) deployable via Vercel, accessible on any device with a browser.
4. How does it compare to Google Maps trip planning?
   SF Trip Planner specializes in SF-specific safety layers, multi-platform event imports, and conflict detection—features absent in generic map tools.
5. Is my data exported securely to Google Calendar?
   Exports use OAuth 2.0 for encrypted calendar sync; no data is stored post-export.