Permitting
Is AI really the Panacea to our permitting woes?
Let’s have a look at what’s happening on the ground.
Greenville, SC pushes for missing middle housing
The city recently overhauled its zoning rules to permit more 'low-intensity' housing options.
Denver starts using AI to speed up housing permits
The CivCheck platform is designed to flag missing or incomplete application items and reduce the time it takes for applications to get approved.
New HUD guidelines call for nixing green building requirements
The newly released 'best practices' advise local governments to streamline permitting processes, cap permitting fees and encourage by-right development of single-family homes.
This Mexican city went paperless — and permitting times dropped by 84%
Guadalajara created an online permitting system that dramatically cut permitting times and bribe solicitations. Now, the entire state of Jalisco is using it.
Interactive, 3D Chicago Zoning Map Lets You Visualize Potential Development
A new tool creates a visual model of potential development on Chicago lots based on the property’s specific zoning regulations.
One Year After the LA Fires, Just 13% of Damaged Homes Have a Rebuilding Permit
After a slow start, permitting is starting to pick up.
Trump Says White House Ballroom Exempt from Permitting, Zoning Rules
The President reportedly told teams working on the ballroom that the project doesn’t have to comply with regulations.
Property Owners Sue Miami for Unlawfully Taking Property via Permit Applications
The suit claims the city is using unrelated permit applications to unlawfully gain right-of-way.
Honolulu Permit Department Shutters Doors to Deal with “Substantial Backlog”
With more than 830 projects languishing in the prescreen stage, the department is closing its front counter services and phone lines in an effort to catch up.
20,000 San Francisco Homes Stalled in Construction Pipeline
Despite getting permits as long as a decade ago, thousands of proposed housing units are still waiting to be built.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.
Affordable Homes Act Targets ADUs, ‘Seasonal Communities’ in Massachusetts
State legislators say the new law could support 65,000 new housing units.
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.
San Francisco Must Streamline Permitting Process
After failing to meet state targets for housing production, the city must create a shorter permitting process under a 2023 state law.
New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.
‘Cut the Tape’ Report Takes Aim at Inefficiencies
A set of recommendations from the Chicago mayor’s office calls for streamlining city processes to stimulate more residential and commercial development.
California Developers Opt for Privately Funded Affordable Housing
Housing advocates worry that, without government guardrails, buildings may not remain affordable or well-maintained in the long term.
A Survey of Texas Zoning Reform
Zoning changes at the local and state levels are making it easier and faster to build housing.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
