What's Covered
Motivating and harmonizing staff and electeds
By-right permitting + code complexity
Third-party plan review and self-certification
Infrastructure obstacles + infill financing
Using AI to find bottlenecks & streamline processes
Messaging & coalition building
who it’s for
Wherever your city is on permit reform, this series is for you:
• Thinking about permit reform: Find out where your city’s permits actually get stuck, and what’s worked in cities like yours
• In the middle of permit reform: Bring the reform you’re working on now. Get feedback from peers and experts who’ve been through it.
• Implementing the ROAD to Housing Act: Learn what the law actually opens up for your city, and how to put it to work.
• AEN Members + Staff: Permit reform takes both executives and administrators to be successful, that’s why we’re letting you bring a staff member that can help you execute reform.
format
Complete all six sessions and earn a Permit Lab Certificate
Peer Leaders
Co-Chair
Council Member, Honolulu, HI
Co-Chair
Mayor, Anacortes, WA
Advisor
Former mayor, pittsburgh, PA
Sessions
Participants will set session dates and times after the first two introductory sessions.
“There’s legislation that has to happen to improve the permit process, but then there are all of these administrative mechanical levers that need to be pulled on in order to get permit process reform really going and to see the real outcomes.”
FAQs
Do I need to attend every session to join?
Yes, six sessions is the full pilot commitment, and completing all six is what earns the certificate.
Can I bring staff?
Yes, you can bring one staff member. You must register them on the registration form. If you need to change the staff member attending after registering, please send the new staff member name and email to Alicia@abundancenetwork.com
Which staff do you recommend I bring?
The ROAD to Housing Act rewards permit speed. We recommend you bring anyone from your team who would work on those policy/process changes, and especially whoever runs your Building or Permit Center day-to-day since they’ll know exactly where the bottlenecks are. That could be Housing, Community Development, Planning, or Building/Development Services, depending on your community’s org chart.
What is the time commitment per section?
Each session is an hour and a half.
What if I can’t make a session?
You can miss one session only. Missing more than one session eliminates the opportunity to receive a certificate and may exclude you from attending future sessions. Decisions on how many sessions you can miss and still be invited to return to the working group will be made by the working group members.
Can my staff member come in place of me?
You may have the registered staff member attend one session as your proxy; however, this only applies to one session. More than one session missed by you may result in dismissal from the working group as it is a peer forum.
Do staff members receive a certificate as well?
Yes, if your staff member attends all six sessions, they will receive a certificate as well.
Is there a fee to join the working group?
No, all member events are free for Abundance Elected members. There is no charge for the one staff member to attend.
What if I don’t have anything produced by the end of the six sessions?
We understand that changes in policy and processes take time and often require others’ agreement and approval. The Permit Lab is a working group and you are expected to be actively working on permit reform between sessions and attend sessions with something to share.
Will we have access to experts?
Yes! The working group can request experts on topics that arise during the lab, and Abundance Elected Network staff will source and schedule appropriate experts to speak at a session. The lab will also include a Pew Charitable Trusts staff member as a resource in each session. We already have several experts prepared to participate.