Mayor Wu Signs Executive Order and Ordinance to Enable Stronger Coordination Between City Departments

Boston removes barriers and streamlines technology, making it easier for people to do business with the city - driving reforms for a more vibrant city. 

Mayor Michelle Wu today signed the Technology Modernization Executive Order, addressing issues residents have historically faced when interacting with the City. This executive order aims to create an overall internal technology plan capable of maintaining large initiatives on the scope of citywide permitting reform. Mayor Wu also shared  progress on the city’s ongoing permitting reform efforts to improve the experience and save time and money for businesses and residents. 

 "We’re making City processes simpler and smarter for all our residents and businesses, for faster and easier ways to create affordable housing, green infrastructure, and vibrant communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “These permitting improvements ensure that all City departments are working together to create a seamless experience for residents, businesses and stakeholders. By laying a strong foundation and getting the basics of City services right – we can make sure Boston is open for business and home for everyone."

The City receives more than 100,000 permit applications each year, supporting residents constructing new homes, moving to new apartments, operating businesses, or hosting events in neighborhoods across Boston. Input collected from residents and City workers have identified major improvement areas, and the City has made significant changes in the last few years to address these including expanding digital services, expediting affordable housing approvals, and providing quicker feedback on building construction plans. The City looks to continue improving these processes to ensure that the permitting experience becomes easier to navigate. 

"Government services are capable of being frictionless and helpful, if powered by the right systems," said Santiago Garcés, Chief Information Officer. "When processes are intentionally designed to deliver great experiences for both residents and employees, we can deliver on big things by doing the small things well. A strong technological foundation enables us to improve coordination across City departments."

Over the past few years, the City has laid the foundation to transform the overall permitting experience – learning alongside constituents to understand what is and isn't working, reviewing processes to identify redundancies, implementing technologies, and assembling the leadership and technical expertise needed to overhaul the current citywide permitting system. This effort relies on the following guiding principles:

1. No wrong door, only great service: City Hall connections are not needed to access support. Any starting point will lead in the right direction. 
2. Tell us once: Saving residents from repeating the same information to different parts of city government. Shared information systems will increase City department efficiency and prevent redundant requests.
3. Real-time status updates: Easily understand the permitting journey, see what's coming next, and get your questions answered before you have them.

Permitting progress to date

The City of Boston has begun implementing changes to deliver a more transparent and coordinated permitting process. Initial improvements include:

• No in-person visit needed. Online payment is now available for more permitting applications and renewals, resulting in a 75% increase in businesses choosing to pay online versus in-person transactions over the last five years.
• Making fire safety simpler and easier. Instead of making businesses physically submit all material samples in-person to be tested by the Fire Department, we’re simplifying flameproofing certification. For the majority of materials, businesses can submit flame testing reports directly from their supplier instead of having to submit samples to be tested by the City, saving time and effort for the applicant. The City is also developing a list of trusted suppliers that businesses can purchase from to further expedite the certification process – making it easier to open and operate a business while upholding fire safety.
• Fast and simple inspection requests. Instead of asking applicants to call by phone, you can now request Inspectional Services Department (ISD) building permit inspections online. 
• Removing unnecessary Zoning Board of Appeal steps for many Groundwater Conservation Overlay District projects, saving projects months in the process. This zoning amendment is currently slated for adoption this fall.   
• Streamlined process for renovating downtown spaces – by simplifying procedures for substantial rehabilitation, projects undergoing interior renovations will no longer be required to undergo a lengthy review, making it easier for building owners to reinvest in existing buildings and for institutions to upgrade aging facilities.
• Removing Certificate of Inspection annual renewals and reoccurring inspection requirement for certain establishments with a capacity of less than 50 and no alcohol service, allowing over 1,000 small businesses to collectively save tens of thousands of dollars on fees and countless hours in scheduling and completing these inspections. This update will be effective and communicated to impacted businesses starting in 2026. 
• A new development review process. With the first substantial amendment to Article 80 of the Zoning Code in 30 years, the City is improving development review to make it more predictable and ensure a consistent experience for developers and community members. The first set of changes were approved by the Zoning Commission last week and the City has published an action plan for ongoing improvements to development review which are actively being implemented.  

As progress continues on permitting reform, both a citywide technology and process improvement effort, the City has already been investing in a technology modernization strategy to make city services more efficient for residents and businesses. Over the past few years, the City has already achieved the following:



• Saved $2.2 million and 804,334 hours across 40 City departments through the Bostonia Academy’s process improvement initiatives, building capacity internally through training 300 city workers, instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on outside consultants.
• Reduced Registry Department wait times by nearly 60% from 12 minutes to five minutes, allowing residents to obtain their marriage licenses, birth certificates, and death certificates easily.
• Built a mattress recycling application in-house, reducing mattress pick-up wait time from 14 days to one to three days and saving over $250,000.
• Expanded Boston’s free Wi-Fi network to include more than 300+ access points, and upgrading public libraries and public schools to high speed internet.
• Created a new automated enrollment tool for Boston Family Days, allowing more than 10,764 students to receive free passes to local museums and cultural institutions.
• Decreased traffic delays for residents at more than 114 intersections, reducing unnecessary stops by 33% through Project Green Light.
• Launched the beta AI-search on boston.gov, connecting Bostonians to resources and information they need with greater ease.

"After operating in the same location for over 50 years, relocating our food business to a new neighborhood in Boston was a significant transition,” said Brian Aitchison, Vice President with Gourmet Caterers. “The online portal served as an invaluable roadmap throughout the process— the online applications and payment features saved us considerable time and streamlined our move. The support and expertise of the staff at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), Inspectional Services Department (ISD), and Boston Fire Department (BFD) were immeasurable."

“The Affordable Housing executive order was immensely helpful as we approached closing our latest affordable housing project in Dorchester,” said Benjie Moll, Principal of Arx Urban. It was the fastest building permit we have received in Boston over the past decade and we are thankful for the City’s hard work to make the process easier”

"Thanks to recent technological improvements, the Registry has significantly reduced wait times, helping all couples—including many in our LGBTQIA2S+ community—secure the legal recognition they need without unnecessary barriers,” said Jullieanne Lee, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for LGBTQ+ Advancement. “It’s not just about saving time—it’s about ensuring families have the protections they deserve. These kinds of updates show what it looks like when government works for everyone, no matter who they are or who they love."

Over the next few years, this comprehensive overhaul will deliver excellent government experiences for Bostonians. The City will continue to modernize processes for building construction, special events, business licensing, and right-of-way. Employees across the City workforce will drive this multi-year effort, incorporating constituent input, community engagement, and policy review. Visit the new Permitting Reform website at boston.gov/permit-transformation to learn more, track progress, and share input to shape the future of this initiative.