Avolve Highlights from PWX 2025

The American Public Works Association (APWA)’s annual conference PWX 2025 conference brought together public works leaders and industry professionals from all over the country to exchange ideas on how communities can meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.  

Avolve was proud to have been selected to present and contribute to the discussions on innovation, infrastructure, and community resilience, and this year, and we had the privilege of sharing how Avolve is tackling the challenges faced by public works teams head-on.  

Our presentation focused on key planning trends, the growing role of GIS in plan review, and a preview of the product innovations we’re bringing to market.  

Key Trends Shaping Public Works Today and Driving Change 

Public works and planning departments face some tough realities. Many agencies are still losing up to 40 minutes per permit toggling between plan sheets, GIS tools, and compliance requirements. Meanwhile, much of the public works workforce is set to retire within five years, which will leave even fewer reviewers to manage rising permit volumes.  

At the same time, council and citizen expectations are rising with the demand for greater transparency, equity, and climate-smart decision-making.  

Yet technology continues to innovate, with the most bleeding edge developments emerging as the best way forward to meet these challenges.  

Two trends, in particular, are reshaping the way forward. 

• GIS integration is transforming plan review by embedding geographic context directly into workflows. Instead of flipping between systems, reviewers can see the full site picture instantly, from right-of-way to utilities, ensuring faster and smarter approvals. Our PWX 2025 presentation focused heavily on the need for GIS-embedded plan review, and the efficiencies agencies can realize by adopting Avolve solutions which pull Esri ArcGIS® directly inside the plan review window. 

• Artificial Intelligence is creating opportunities to reduce rework and accelerate permitting. But as Avolve’s presentation emphasized at PWX, not all AI is created equal. Local governments need solutions that are explainable, auditable, and built with public trust at the center. That’s why we talk about “Intentional AI”—AI designed to support, not replace, expert reviewer judgment. 

GIS-Powered Plan Review 

One of the highlights of our presentation was underscoring the need for GIS-informed plan review. As public works officials know, for years reviewers have struggled with siloed data and manual handoffs.  

Our launch of Avolve GIS, which brings Esri ArcGIS® directly inside the plan review window, allows agencies to overlay drawings on live basemaps, rotate to true north, adjust transparency for visibility, and even sketch conflicts directly on the map — all without leaving the review screen. 

The result is faster reviews, fewer errors, and better decisions with the resources your agency already has.  

And this is only the beginning. Our roadmap includes 3Dscene viewing, advanced map tools, and deeper integration with Esri’s solution stack, ensuring that GIS will continue to unlock new value for plan reviewers.  

Avolve's Innovation Roadmap  

PWX 2025 was also the perfect moment to share what’s next on our innovation roadmap.  

• AI Submit: AI-powered “front gate,” flags common submission errors before intake, ensuring reviewers start with cleaner plans. 

• Avolve GIS: Embeds geospatial context directly into plan review, with more enhancements coming soon. 

• Avolve Mobile: Gives inspectors the ability to access and sync plans from the field, reducing delays and eliminating paper. 

• Avolve Insights: Turns agency activity into real-time dashboards and council-ready reports, removing the need for manual reporting. 

Each of these innovations is built to meet the realities of government work to help solve for resource constraints, compliance demands, and the need for transparency at every step. 

From Conference to Communities 

The conversations at PWX 2025 reinforced the fact that plan review has become a strategic driver of community growth. Whether accelerating housing projects, ensuring code compliance, or coordinating utility work, the effectiveness of plan review directly impacts how quickly and sustainably cities can move forward. 

Avolve’s presentation made clear that innovative technology isn’t just about keeping pace with demand but rather ensuring responsible, customer-informed, and industry-specific solutions.  

By combining GIS-powered review with upcoming AI, mobile, and analytics tools, Avolve ensures agencies have a clearer path to faster approvals, safer infrastructure, and smarter growth. 

Request a demo today to learn more about Avolve’s proven solutions.