Dive Brief:
- In order to cut down on long wait times for environmental and building permits, the cities of Los Angeles, Austin, Texas, and Honolulu have turned to artificial intelligence to give their planning departments a boost over the past year, according to the cities.
- Austin and Los Angeles are using Australia-based Archistar to help expedite permit review, according to official announcements. Austin officially adopted the technology in October 2024 following a three-month pilot, and the city and county of Los Angeles launched the service on April 30, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, following wildfires that devastated the region.
- In addition, the city of Honolulu plans to speed up the permitting process with the help of these AI-based technical upgrades starting later this year, Mayor Rick Blangiardi told the Honolulu Civil Beat during a June 4 event.
Dive Insight:
These changes come as the federal government, at the behest of President Donald Trump, seeks to change its environmental and federal permitting process with the help of technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Austin has begun using Archistar for residential permits, with plans to expand into other areas. There haven’t been critical errors or unexpected behaviors from Archistar, a common concern when adopting AI, Stephanie Sanchez, senior public information specialist for the city of Austin, told Construction Dive. At this time, it has only been tested within the residential building plan review permitting process, Sanchez said.
In California, Archistar’s technology uses computer vision, machine learning and automated rulesets to instantly check designs against local zoning and building codes in the assessment process for building permits, according to the Newsom’s office. With it, property owners can pre-check plans before submission to ensure validity and prevent delays.
“We see AI as a powerful support tool that can improve both speed and customer service in our permitting process,” Sanchez wrote in an email to Construction Dive.
Newsome signed an executive order on Jan. 12 to expedite the rebuilding process for homes and businesses destroyed by the fires.
“The current pace of issuing permits locally is not meeting the magnitude of the challenge we face,” Newsom said in the news release.
Honolulu will use technology developed by Vancouver-based Clariti to guide owners through the permitting process and replace the city’s 1990’s-era software system, according to the Civil Beat, which pegged the median wait for a commercial job permit at 393 days during the first quarter.
Honolulu is also using Chicago-based CivCheck, which will use AI to scan building plans and make sure they’re code-compliant.
