Memphis and Shelby County Cuts Permit Review Times by 80% with Develop 901

How a unified digital platform and shared governance model transformed a fragmented, paper-based development process into one of the most efficient in the nation.

At a Glance

Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee operates as a joint city-county organization managing one of the most dynamic development ecosystems in the mid-South. The Division of Planning and Development oversees more than 70,000 permits and 90,000 inspections annually, coordinating across multiple regulatory agencies to serve residents, businesses, and the broader development community.

Under the leadership of Deputy Director Nidia Logan-Robinson, the county launched Develop 901-a sweeping modernization initiative powered by the Accela Civic Platform that has fundamentally transformed how development services are delivered across the region.

The Challenge

Before Develop 901, Memphis and Shelby County’s development review process was entirely paper-based-fragmented across agencies with no shared platform, no unified customer experience, and no consistent data. Permits moved from agency to agency through manual handoffs, creating chronic miscommunication and unpredictable delays. Commercial plan reviews regularly took 30 to 50 days, and that figure covered only the construction plan review phase-not the full end-to-end journey from submission to issuance.

The challenge wasn’t just inefficiency, it was structural. Agencies operated in silos with separate goals, processes, and systems. Customers had no single place to submit applications, track progress, or understand what was happening with their projects. Small and midsize builders, who lacked the resources to navigate complex bureaucratic processes, were disproportionately impacted. The system created friction for everyone it touched.

As Memphis embarked on its first comprehensive land use plan in 40 years-a 30-year vision for growth and investment across the city and county-leaders recognized that an antiquated, fragmented permitting process was incompatible with the region’s ambitions. Something had to change. 

The Solution 

Develop 901 was born from a simple but powerful idea: rationalize the development process to serve everyone better–customers, staff, and regulatory partners alike. The initiative’s central purpose is transparency and efficiency, giving all parties a clear, unified view of where a project stands at every step. 

The county implemented the Accela Civic Platform as the backbone of Develop 901, transitioning the division-and many of its major regulatory partners-from a 100% paper process to a modern digital workflow. Rather than each agency managing its own corner of the process, Accela provides a shared platform where staff across departments can collaborate, track progress, and serve customers through a single, unified experience. 

To align with the many agencies involved, Memphis and Shelby County established a cross-agency governance committee composed of leaders and decision-makers from key regulatory bodies. This committee met regularly to guide the platform’s implementation, define shared goals, surface common bottlenecks, and establish a culture of continuous improvement. Staff were also empowered through user groups-forums where frontline employees could bring ideas and challenges directly to the table, shaping the road map alongside leadership. 

Data became a cornerstone of the operation. Through Accela’s replicated database, the team gained real-time visibility into every permit, inspection, and application in the system. That data feeds a Power BI dashboard reviewed monthly by administrators, managers, and analysts to track performance at every step of the process-planning, reviews, residential, and commercial. It also powers a public-facing interactive map that lets residents and developers see all active building permits and planning applications in their neighborhood, answering the question the office used to receive dozens of times a day: “What’s happening over there?” 

“Develop 901’s central purpose is to ensure that there is ultimate transparency for the development partners responsible for regulatory approvals, but also for staff and ultimately for our customers.” 

– Nidia Logan-Robinson, Deputy Director, Division of Planning and Development, Memphis and Shelby County 

The Benefits 

The shift to a shared digital platform delivered benefits across every dimension of the development process. 

• A unified customer experience: Applicants now have one central destination to submit applications, track progress, and manage their projects from end to end-eliminating the confusion of navigating multiple agency processes. 

• Cross-agency collaboration: Regulatory partners across major city and county agencies now share a common platform, enabling coordinated reviews and eliminating the manual handoffs that caused delays and miscommunication. 

• Data-driven management: Monthly dashboard reviews allow leadership to spot trends, identify bottlenecks, and drive continuous improvement-keeping every team member accountable and aligned. 

• Legislative responsiveness: When state legislation required agencies to justify fees over $250, the county was able to use Accela workflow data to document staff time at each step–quickly and compliantly. 

• Public transparency: The Accela-powered public mapping tool consistently ranks in the top 10 most visited tools on the county’s website, giving residents real-time visibility into development activity in their neighborhoods. 
• A stronger development ecosystem: By making the process easier to navigate, especially for smaller builders who lack resources to handle bureaucratic complexity-Memphis and Shelby County is positioning itself as a destination for businesses and developers from across the nation. 

The Results

The transformation has been dramatic. What once took 30 to 50 days now happens in a fraction of the time, and the county is continuing to improve.

These results represent an 80% reduction in commercial plan review time and put Memphis and Shelby County firmly on track to meet its mayor’s ambitious “Year of Yes” goal: issuing building permits within 30 days. The county consistently meets its internal 10-day plan review target and is driving toward even faster timelines.

Beyond the numbers, the transformation has changed the culture of how development is managed in the region. Monthly service improvement meetings keep teams aligned and continuously improving. The governance structure that guided implementation now serves as an ongoing engine for collaboration. And staff have moved from reactive crisis management to proactive, data-informed decision-making.

The ultimate vision-a fully integrated development ecosystem where every major regulatory partner is on a shared platform-is within reach. Memphis and Shelby County are proving that modernizing government services isn’t just about speed. It’s about creating a community where residents, builders, and businesses all feel like partners in the city’s future. 

“This is about overall growth and development in the city and county that we all live, work in, and love. We are trying to create a development ecosystem that works for all parties involved.” 

– Nidia Logan-Robinson, Deputy Director, Division of Planning and Development, Memphis and Shelby County 

Interested in learning more? 

To learn more about how the Accela Civic Platform can help your agency cut permit review times, unify departments, and deliver better experiences for residents and businesses, book a demo today.