Why GIS Integration is Fundamental to Modern Plan Review

Community development has always been fundamentally geographic—every development happens somewhere specific, affects surrounding infrastructure, and must comply with location-based regulations. Yet for decades, plan review operated in geographic data isolation, forcing reviewers to piece together spatial context from separate systems, external maps, and fragmented data sources. 

Traditional plan review examines plans in isolation. This creates unnecessary and costly inefficiencies and delays in the development approval process. When plan reviewers need utility information, they often wait days or weeks for other departments to create custom maps and markups – or try to merge data through screenshots and overlays. In municipalities with historic districts, staff are on the hook for additional verifications, which often require manual crosschecks with separate databases.  

This fragmented approach isn’t just inefficient—it’s increasingly unsustainable as cities, towns, and counties face pressure to process and approve permits at a faster pace, all the while boosting the citizen experience for applicants. 

Why Location Context Changes Everything 

Spatial intelligence represents both a concept and a technology. As a concept, it acknowledges that location brings unique perspective to organizing information and applies geographic thinking to unlock new insights. As technology, it enables organizations to build and connect data based on geographic context, creating systems that apply spatial reasoning to everyday workflows. 

This enables contextual plan review, whereby every submission is automatically understood within its true geographic, infrastructural, and regulatory environment. Reviewers no longer toggle between separate systems to check parcels, zoning, flood zones, and utilities. They save up to 40 minutes per permit because spatial context arrives instantly, right where they work. 

With a plan review solution that leverages existing GIS and permitting review investments, local governments can now transform how reviewers take advantage of spatial data – and how information from the plan review can participate across the organizational GIS.  

Integrated GIS and Plan Review Gives Full-Site Context 

When Avolve made the industry-first move to embed spatial intelligence directly into electronic plan review, we weren’t just adding a map feature—we were fundamentally reimagining how local governments approach development decisions.  

We became the first and only electronic plan review solution to integrate with Esri’s ArcGIS, making every reviewer spatially aware within their existing workflow. Instead of treating GIS as a separate system, our integration enables spatial data to be brought directly into the plan review workflow.  

This gives reviewers instant access to critical information, like:  

• Parcel data including ownership, dimensions, and zoning.  

• Underground utility and infrastructure locations.  

• Historic district boundaries and zoning districts.  

• Existing building footprints and development patterns. 

The impact of GIS and plan review integration is immediate. For example, rather than submitting requests to the water utility department and waiting for marked-up drawings, reviewers can independently verify organization infrastructure, utility data, imagery, and basemaps. Or, instead of manually cross-referencing historic district boundaries, this information appears automatically with the parcel data.  

The Benefits of Integrated GIS and Plan Review 

Bringing GIS into your plan review workflows delivers benefits beyond access to maps. With GIS data implicitly available in your plan review and permitting solutions, departments can share data implicitly and collaborate with ease. For example, Planning staff can instantly verify zoning compliance, Building can double check for utility conflicts, and Water can assess infrastructure capacity using real-time data.  

This organization-wide approach doesn't just save time — it enhances the integrity of plan review by ensuring all departments work from the same single source of trust for spatial information. Local governments benefit from more accurate reviews, more timely processing of permits, and better resource allocation across the organization. 

• Instant, integrated access to critical spatial data.  

• Reduced interdepartmental requests and lengthy email threads. 

• Streamlined utility coordination.  

• Single source of truth for spatial information.  

• Enhanced cross-departmental collaboration. 

• Improved data accuracy and consistency across City Hall. 

Forward-looking agencies are discovering that GIS integration isn't just about better access to maps- it transforms the entire review process from reactive document processing to proactive spatial decision-making. A geographic approach helps state and local governments move forward with data-driven planning—and Avolve GIS makes that approach accessible to every reviewer, regardless of their GIS expertise. 
 
Which is why spatial intelligence in plan review isn't optional—it's essential.  

Unlock the power of location to turn plans into places. Experience next-gen plan review, reimagined with Avolve GIS. Book a demo.