Microproduct Data GuideBeginner

Vancouver Issued Building Permits

Issued permits, project values, work types, uses, descriptions, and processing times for building construction pipeline and development hotspot tools.

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At a Glance

Difficulty
Beginner — comfortable for a first prototype
Size
Small · 0.01–0.2 GB
Formats
CSV, JSON, GeoJSON
Access
Download and API
API Key
Not Required
Provider
City of Vancouver
Updates
Daily
Last Verified
Sep 3, 2026
Source Type
Government Source
Data Terms
Open Government Licence - Vancouver
  • Python Syntax Checked
  • Runnable Notebook

From Source to Product Signal

Test a Product Idea in Four Steps

Start with one permit category and a small recent API page. The records describe permits when first issued, not their current status or later changes, and some addresses cannot be geocoded.

1

Check the Setup

  • Python 3.10 or newer
  • A notebook environment such as Jupyter or Google Colab
  • An internet connection
2

Access the Data

  1. 1.Open the official dataset page and review the issuance and geocoding notes.
  2. 2.Query a bounded page through the OpenDataSoft API.
  3. 3.Keep permit number, issue date, value, elapsed days, permit category, work type, use, and local area.
Open Official Source
3

Run the Python Example

Install the packages, then run the notebook cell.

python -m pip install pandas requests

import pandas as pd
import requests

url = "https://opendata.vancouver.ca/api/explore/v2.1/catalog/datasets/issued-building-permits/records"
response = requests.get(
    url,
    params={"limit": 100, "order_by": "issuedate DESC"},
    timeout=30,
)
response.raise_for_status()
permits = pd.json_normalize(response.json()["results"])
columns = [
    "permitnumber",
    "issuedate",
    "projectvalue",
    "permitelapseddays",
    "permitcategory",
    "typeofwork",
    "propertyuse",
    "geolocalarea",
]
print(permits[columns].head())
4

Test a Useful Signal

Compare Building Permit Timelines

Test whether issued permits can support a neighbourhood construction pipeline monitor.

  1. 01Group the sample by permit category and local area.
  2. 02Compare median project value and elapsed days across groups.
  3. 03Explain why issued-only records, applicant response time, and missing coordinates limit performance conclusions.

Related Datasets

Dataset Details

City of Vancouver is a government source. Last verified 2026-09-03. Temporal coverage: 2017-present.

Provider

City of Vancouver

Data Terms

Open Government Licence - Vancouver

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