Lancaster, Calif., will be first city to use AI platform to streamline permitting

The City of Lancaster, Calif., will be the first municipality in the U.S. to deploy the Labrynth AI permitting platform that is expected to streamline permitting for development.

“The public-private partnership positions Lancaster as a national leader in smart governance and regulatory innovation,” according to a Labrynth news release. “The Labrynth platform streamlines permitting processes, improves transparency, and helps developers and city officials save time and resources.”

The platform will automate application validation and eliminate bottlenecks, enabling faster decisions and fewer delays across key regulatory workflows for development, zoning, and licensing approvals, the release says. The deployment will begin with permitting optimization, using AI and agentic workflows to pre-screen submissions, validate them against requirements, flag missing components, and dynamically guide applicants through improving them using best practices and precedents.

“As cities nationwide look to reduce delays, attract investment, and accelerate innovation, Lancaster’s partnership with Labrynth sets a replicable model,” says Stuart Lacey, CEO, Labrynth.