PermitLens

PermitLens is a web app (with optional mobile companion) that turns messy municipal permit and planning data into a clear, map-based feed for neighborhoods and design teams. It aggregates building permits, variances, zoning applications, and public hearing notices from city portals, normalizes them, and highlights what changed: use, height, setbacks, parking, tree removal, curb cuts, and construction timelines. Users can draw a “watch area,” get alerts, and generate a one-page impact brief for community meetings. It’s not a magic urban-design simulator; it’s a practical early-warning and coordination tool that helps people react before decisions are locked in. An AI layer summarizes long PDFs, extracts key fields from scanned documents, and drafts plain-language explanations, but the core value is reliable data ingestion and a clean workflow for tracking, commenting, and sharing.