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Big Data Test Infrastructure (BDTI)

Accelerating Building Permit Approvals with AI in Vienna

Organisation type
  • Public administration at local level
Use case area
  • Government and public sector
  • Justice, legal system and public safety
Geographic scope
  • Austria
Domain
  • Economy
  • Governance and implementation

Challenge:

Vienna processes around 13,000 building applications annually. The rising demand for construction, coupled with complex legal and technical regulations, has caused significant delays in the permit approval process. Traditional paper-based submissions and manual reviews have extended processing times, sometimes taking up to a year. The city needed a solution to streamline approvals, reduce costs, and improve transparency for both the applicant and the administration.

Approach:

The city of Vienna seeks to leverage advanced machine learning and natural language processing to automate some of the many steps of the permit approval process. The project, named BRISE, employs a holistic approach, combining technical and organisational aspects for a seamless digital workflow. Key technologies include Building Information Modelling (BIM) for creating digital twins of buildings and automated compliance checks. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used for machine learning, semantic search, and legal-tech applications, supporting experts with quickly finding legal references and document verification. Augmented Reality (AR) enables stakeholders to visualise future buildings in a virtual environment, enhancing understanding and engagement. Robotic Desktop Automation (RDA) handles data modification and transfer through defined interactions. The project focuses on practical application, involving processes, responsibilities, and the establishment of digital organisational units within municipal departments. The post-implementation analysis has identified five replicable and scalable innovations which can be used by municipalities in a modular way beyond the full deployment of the BRISE System: the automated transfer of 2D plans into a 3D reference model, the criteria matrix behind the 2D – 3D transfer, the AI-based semantic search for similar or related legal cases, the AI-based recognition and extraction of signatures from submission documents and the process to train the AI to identify and classify textual provisions in legal documents.

Outcomes:

The BRISE Vienna project reduced building permit processing times by up to 50%, saving both time and cost. By automatically checking submissions against legal technical requirements the system increases accuracy, transparency and reduce the workload for the human reviewers. The seamless integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies shows new standards within urban planning that results in a smoother and more productive collaboration between developers and authorities. Additionally, citizens can view and understand building projects in 3D, promoting community engagement and involvement.

Data Sources:

In this use case several key data sources are being used. Building Information Models (BIM) provide a detailed framework for construction projects. The Vienna Land Use and Development Plan offers crucial insights into urban planning regulations. Historical legal cases serve as a precedent and reference for compliance and risk assessment. 

Additional Information:

Point of Contact:

  • brise-viennaatpost [dot] wien [dot] gv [dot] at (brise-vienna[at]post[dot]wien[dot]gv[dot]at)