In what one might call InfoMap 2.0, the City of West Hollywood has launched an interactive web portal that provides easy access to information about active planning and building and safety permits for projects happening across the city. It replaces the earlier InfoMap, and unlike the earlier version it allows users to easily select and view a multitude of planning and building data filtered by location, date range, type of permit and permit status.
InfoMap has fully customizable search and filter options to best meet user needs, and the site is mobile-responsive allowing people to access information via phone or tablet.
InfoMap displays open projects and permits currently being processed by the City’s Planning and Development Services Department. Data is updated every 24 hours, ensuring that the most up-to-date project information is available. Residents can also create an account and sign up to receive customizable daily, weekly or monthly alerts regarding planning or construction permit activity in their neighborhood.
InfoMap is directly accessible at infomap.weho.org. There is also a landing page set up at www.weho.org/infomap that includes four dashboards with data visualizations. Combined, these sites offer a real-time snapshot of the project applications and approvals that are being processed in the Current and Historic Preservation Planning Division and the Building and Safety Division at City Hall.
Data displayed in InfoMap includes active permit information regarding planning projects and building permits.
–A planning project is a legal right conveyed by approval (through a planning entitlement or permit) from the City of West Hollywood to develop a property for a certain use, intensity, building type or building placement. Open projects include both planning projects that are under review and projects that have been previously approved but have not expired.
–A building permit is an official certificate issued by the Building and Safety Division that gives permission to construct, enlarge or alter a building. Permits are also issued for installation and alteration of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems associated with a building. Open permits include building and safety permits that are under review as well as permits that have been issued and are under construction, but are not yet finalized. This can include minor projects, such as a facade remodel, as well as much larger development projects or building permits for new commercial or residential construction.
InfoMap is the latest in a series of projects at City Hall aimed at increasing transparency and providing city government data in an easily accessible, user-friendly format. In 2016, the city launched an open data site at https://data.weho.org, which provides easily accessible information in a user-friendly format about a variety of City Hall functions. Icons quickly direct site visitors to data sets about city contracts, filming, the arts, business licensing, capital improvement projects, parking, traffic, housing and more. The city also has an open budget portal at http://budget.weho.org.
For more information about InfoMap, contact John Keho, the City of West Hollywood’s Interim Director of Planning and Development Services, at (323) 848-6893 or at jkeho@weho.org. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
Great idea. Now, no excuse for being uninformed!