Using AI to streamline housing provision

One of the things President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke most clearly about during his State of the Nation Address this was the need to really rejuvenate SA's inner cities and turn them into the "engines of growth" that they should be. 

And one of the key components of that process will be to provide many more affordable homes within easy reach of the employment and business opportunities that commercial hubs offer. This will obviously not be an easy process, but as reported in The Portugal News recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving to have real potential in helping to address planning bottlenecks and speed up housing development to meet the pressing need for more affordable housing in many cities around the world. 

The author of that article, Casa Iberia CEO Paulo Lopes, was pleading for local authorities in Portugal to embrace AI, illustrating once again that SA is definitely not the only country where new housing projects face delays caused by slow bureaucracy, complex approval systems and a lack of town planning capacity. However, local authorities elsewhere are quickly catching on to the fact that AI can help cut through that red tape and ensure that developers are able to deliver new housing in a timely and effective manner, and so should we.

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Indeed, since the GNU is in favour of digitization and has already proved itself willing to embrace new technologies to help advance its National Reconstruction Plan, we think it may not be long before it sees the value of using AI to help revive our cities.   

To see how this might work, one can look at cities as different as Kelowna and Vancouver in Canada and Vienna in Austria, where AI-powered tools have already demonstrated remarkable success in streamlining housing projects and approval systems.

In Vienna, for example, Vienna the BRISE project has digitised and automated the building permit application process, cutting approval times by up to 50%. The system uses AI to classify documents, ensure all necessary files are included and extract key information automatically, making the process more efficient for both applicants and urban planners.

Similar initiatives in Vancouver have introduced tools like eComply, which allows applicants to upload housing plans and receive instant feedback on compliance with local regulations. These solutions help streamline the design phase and minimize revisions, saving time and resources. And an AI dashboard in that city also tracks the progress of housing projects under review, monitors permit processing times and identifies bottlenecks, enabling planners to proactively address any hold-ups.  

Meanwhile in Kelowna, chatbots can guide developers through zoning regulations, provide feedback on construction guidelines, and even support online inspections. Such tools reduce the administrative burden on planning departments while making the process easier for developers. 

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And beyond speeding up individual projects, AI also has the potential to revolutionise urban planning by rapidly analysing the relevant data. It can identify areas suitable for affordable housing, predict market trends and optimize the use of public land. 

This is particularly relevant for SA, where there is already a hug backlog of affordable housing and demand continues to rise. AI can easily prioritise projects that address the needs of low-income families and young professionals, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and equitably. It can also suggest redevelopment strategies for underutilised properties, providing innovative solutions to maximize housing capacity.

However, it is also vital to recognise the limitations of AI. As Lopes points out in The Portugal News article: "Decision-making in urban planning also requires human expertise, critical thinking and community input, which are factors that AI alone cannot provide. 

"Cities like Vancouver that are using AI emphasise the importance of combining AI insights with expert evaluations and data from diverse sources. Relying solely on AI could introduce risks, particularly in complex or large-scale projects, where nuanced judgment and accountability are essential."

Nevertheless, SA's housing shortage demands urgent and bold action now, and harnessing AI to assist the construction industry to deliver more homes, faster and smarter, while maintaining a focus on quality and sustainability, may be just what we need to creating a bigger and more equitable housing market.