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Cowichan Valley Regional District in British Columbia has selected CityView to support its transition from manual, paper-based processes to a centralized, digital land management environment.

Located on southern Vancouver Island, the Cowichan Valley Regional District serves nearly 90,000 residents across a diverse mix of communities. The District is taking an important step toward modernizing how it manages permits, planning and enforcement while improving access and service for the public.

Modernizing fragmented, manual processes

Prior to this project, many core services at the District relied on decentralized tools and workflows, including email, spreadsheets, paper files and shared network drives. Applications for building and development permits were submitted in person or by email, reviewed manually and tracked using Microsoft Excel. Service requests and inspection inquiries were handled by phone or email, and payments were processed at the front counter.

While some departments had begun adopting digital tools, the overall process remained fragmented, creating inefficiencies for staff and a less streamlined experience for applicants and residents.

Clear goals for service improvement

Through its procurement process, the District outlined a clear set of goals focused on improving both internal operations and public-facing services. These goals included enhancing coordination between departments and external agencies, streamlining application processing, improving communication with applicants and creating a more accessible, customer-centric experience.

The District also emphasized the need for a centralized repository for property and application data, strong permissions and version control, GIS integration and the flexibility to support a mobile workforce in a cloud-based environment.

A centralized, configurable platform

CityView will provide a hosted solution supporting Permits and Inspections, Planning, Bylaw Enforcement, Business Licensing and Animal Licensing. The implementation will include CityView Portal with online payments, Electronic Plans Review, mobile capabilities and integrations such as Esri ArcGIS mapping and Microsoft Office extensions.

This approach reduces reliance on manual handoffs, improves internal coordination and gives staff greater confidence that they are working with accurate, up-to-date information.

Together, these tools will allow the District to manage digital assets in one place, improve data accuracy and give both staff and the public greater visibility into application and development activity.

Looking ahead

“The CVRD is excited to partner with the CityView team to move from our existing paper-based application processes to a modern, centralized digital environment,” said Ian MacDonald, RBO, senior manager, Inspections and Enforcement Division for the Cowichan Valley Regional District. “This transition will further allow us to deliver an improved and more accessible experience for the public through your user-friendly online web portal.”

As the District’s project manager for the implementation, MacDonald added that he is looking forward to working with the CityView team throughout the rollout.

CityView is proud to welcome the Cowichan Valley Regional District and looks forward to supporting its continued modernization efforts and commitment to improved public service.