Cities, States Use AI and GIS to Make Permitting Less of a Pain

Across the country, state and local governments have turned to AI to optimize their building permitting processes. The efficiencies they’ve achieved are impressive and welcomed by applicants and government agencies alike.

2 minute read

July 23, 2024, 6:00 AM PDT

By Mary Hammon @marykhammon


View of a housing permit document with a home blueprint, stamped "approved."

Francesco Scatena / Adobe Stock

A recent article in GovTech explores how state and local governments are integrating AI and GIS into their permitting systems to expedite the process and improve accountability. According to staff writer Ashley Silver, “GIS- and AI-powered tools are increasingly resolving longstanding issues in state and local government permitting, giving jurisdictions the firepower to do better at automating processes, improving response times and empowering residents to complete their own applications.”

Silver highlights the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, which is working with the CLARITI system to expedite building permit processing inspections and enforcement — which they identified as a bottleneck — via online customer portals and integrated land management tools.” Since the pilot launched in February, Silver reports that the time to complete residential permits have been cut by 70 percent. She adds that HDPP is now exploring a front-end AI component “not unlike TurboTax” that would “ensure permit applications meet all necessary requirements before being transferred into CLARITI for completion.”

Processing time for permits have also fallen by more than 70 percent in Virginia, where the Office of Regulatory Management used AI and GIS to create the Virginia Permit Transparency platform, which allows users to track their permit application status and maps out the timeline of permit steps, both targeted and actual. Maricopa County, Arizona, also launched a Permit Center platform just last June, which consolidates all existing permitting systems from other departments into a central platform for permit reviews, inspections and payments. It’s a “one-stop-shop” that not only offers better visibility into applications but also where residents can “pay fees online, schedule inspections and see what plan modifications are needed.”

AI is rapidly becoming a valuable tool for state and local governments; in addition to fast-tracking permitting, cities are using AI to build predictive models, identify wildfire risks, aid in traffic management, manage utilities, identify homeless camps, analyze public commentsticket cars parked in bike lanes, and more. But as the adoption of AI technology becomes more widespread, government officials across the country are making plans to ensure it’s done responsibly, particularly given AI’s tendency for bias.

Thursday, July 11, 2024 in GovTech

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

4 hours ago - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

5 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

6 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA