Licenses and Inspections unveils new site with searchable data
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Licenses and Inspections unveils new site with searchable data
Catherine Lucey
The department of licenses and inspections today launched a new website, which features an interactive map, where users can search properties to find a wide range of data, including licenses, permits or violations.
Check out the press release about the site here:
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSES AND INSPECTIONS AND THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAUNCH REDESIGNED L&I WEBSITE
Departmental Information Now Available for Public Review and Use
Philadelphia, August 13, 2012 – The City of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) announce the launch of L&I’s fully redesigned website, www.phila.gov/LI . L&I is confident that the new website will strengthen its ongoing efforts to promote transparency, improve customer service, and further partner with the residents and businesses of Philadelphia to make our City an even better place to live, work, and play. With an easily-navigable interface designed to meet the needs of a diverse group of users, the new website represents a major achievement in the effort to improve government accessibility and accountability.
“Transparency, accountability, and excellent customer service for the people of Philadelphia: these are values that we at L&I are deeply and actively committed to. This new website is a shining example of that commitment and I proudly invite all Philadelphians to check it out for themselves,” said L&I Commissioner Carlton Williams. “We are excited to provide this tremendous resource, since it will further inform community members about our work in their neighborhoods, which n turn will help us do a better job.”
“The Office of Innovation and Technology extends its appreciation to the team of OIT and L&I staff working collaboratively to deliver the website. The completion of the new L&I website is part of OIT’s on-going initiative to revamp Phila.gov and is a significant milestone on our journey to transform the City of Philadelphia’s web presence,” said Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid.
L&I is the first Department to provide its extensive collection of data in a way that can be easily searched, mapped, and analyzed by any user with internet access. The website’s interactive features will allow users to see the complete history of L&I’s activities at any address. Users will be able to quickly view all construction and demolition permits, zoning and use permits and variances, business and rental licenses, as well as code violations, enforcement actions, and much more. Users can also identify City-owned and privately held vacant properties. The website’s powerful mapping tool will help residents and businesses to not only monitor the work the Department does in their neighborhoods, but also to identify problems the Department may be unaware of.
L&I’s new website will also support the efforts of current and future Philadelphians to engage in economic and community development-- from establishing and expanding a business to building or rehabilitating a property. With fresh, up-to-date content, the new website will be a resource for understanding the permitting, licensing, and appeals processes. Users can view the names and addresses of all currently licensed contractors in the City and can view the hearing schedules and decisions of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Licenses and Inspections Review Board, and the Board of Building Standards. Additionally, the L&I website will also be integrated with the City’s online Business Service Portal, which guides users through the process of planning, starting, and running a business in Philadelphia.
The Department of Licenses and Inspections is Philadelphia’s chief regulatory agency providing a wide range of services to advance development and ensure public safety through education and enforcement the Philadelphia Code. The Department’s new website can be found at www.phila.gov/li.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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