In May, I described a months-long process that was focused on the development of a new building permit data standard called the Building and Land Development Specification (BLDS, pronounced “builds”). When we discussed our work in helping to develop this standard, we made specific note of the importance of building permit data:
“A shared standard for building permit data that can be adopted by multiple governments will help foster the development of new solutions that can be shared between jurisdictions. It will allow for analysis across jurisdictions, helping to highlight what works well and what doesn’t. And, most importantly, it can help foster a better understanding of the permit process — which can have a direct impact on the neighborhoods we live in — by ensuring a common vocabulary for important events and activities.”
Last week, we announced the release of BLDS version 1.0, which means that the standard has been developed to a point where it is now ready for wider adoption by city and county governments.
This new standard is being adopted by a growing number of Accela customers such as, the City of Tampa and San Diego County, and there are a number of important innovations being developed that agencies adopting BLDS will be able to leverage in the coming months. Stay tuned for more announcements in the near future on this important effort!
If you have questions or want to learn more about the BLDS standard, head on over to the BLDS website to learn more.
