Dallas planning and permitting report shows shorter permit times, digital tools and code reform plan

City planning and development officials told the Dallas City Council on Jan. 15 that a departmental merger and targeted process changes have cut permit issuance times, closed a backlog of stale applications and prepared the city for a larger code reform effort tied to Forward Dallas.

The newly unified Planning and Development department, formed June 26, 2024, reported tangible improvements in permitting performance and customer service. Deputy director Sam Iskander, who leads building operations, said the median time to issue a new commercial construction permit fell from 276 days in 2023 to 189 days in 2024. He also reported faster turnarounds across permit types: commercial remodel median time dropped from 21 to 12 days and commercial addition median time declined from 111 to 54…