Recently, I was hanging out in the Gulf Islands with some brilliant friends when the conversation turned (as many of mine are wont to do) to the state of housing, development, and land use approvals in Canada.
I’ll spare you the details—but long story short, we ended up in a back-and-forth about the ways AI might impact our industry in the years to come.
While some people are understandably nervous about whether AI can handle applications and permitting with the required nuance.
…And others are anxious that AI could make some municipal positions redundant.
…we’d be remiss to ignore the opportunity we’ve been afforded by these new technological advancements.
This belief isn’t based on hypothesis or theory. Right now, we’re already seeing municipalities like Vancouver and Kelowna begin to seriously pursue leveraging the power of AI to streamline their permitting processes.
Partnering with major groups like Microsoft, municipalities are finding creative solutions to relieve their overwhelm, fix their systems, and set their cities up for long-term efficiency and success.
The thing is—this important work can’t be executed or implemented without hands-on human involvement.
As an experienced Development Approvals Process Review (DAPR) consultant, I’ve loved the opportunity to think critically about what AI really can (and can’t) do for municipalities.
By helping municipalities create clear permitting processes, we’re paving the way for…
✅ AI to be able to easily read plans + bring much-needed efficiency to the permitting processes.
✅ Increased workplace satisfaction for municipal staff, who have been overworked and understaffed for far too long.
✅ A light at the end of the housing crisis tunnel—because with easier permitting comes timely development, which means more housing options.
When I am working with municipalities on their permitting process improvements, it is clear that by taking an intentional and technologically-mindful look at current permitting processes, we can identify exactly which parts of the workload can be given to AI.
Then, we work together to create smart systems around the approvals process as a whole, so municipal staff can move projects across the line more quickly, without ever having to worry whether AI missed an important, complex, or nuanced piece of the equation.
Ready to take the next step and curious about funding? Federal Housing Accelerator funds are now available—and this could be a game-changing opportunity to unlock housing supply!
Get more information on federal funding here:
https://lnkd.in/g4smd5fd
Then book a call with me here and let’s explore ways we can get started on improving your municipality’s permitting processes:
https://lnkd.in/dhHZCZ8Q
Watch for more info on WLI’s event on November 2nd where I will be talking about AI and permitting.