The ReZone Acquisition
Shovels Decisions originated from our acquisition of ReZone, an AI company that tracked city and local government meeting decisions. ReZone was founded on a simple thesis: real estate is—and will always be—a local business. The direction of our built environment isn’t driven by big decisions in Washington, but by thousands of smaller decisions made every month by city councils and planning boards. By acquiring ReZone, Shovels became the only company to unify meeting records with permit data, delivering the earliest possible insight into development activity.What Decisions Capture
Each decision record documents a zoning or land use action taken by a local government, including:- Rezoning approvals — Changes to how a property can be used
- Special use permits — Permissions for specific activities within a zone
- Zoning code modifications — Changes to the rules themselves
- Variance approvals — Exceptions to existing zoning requirements
Why Decisions Matter
Traditional permit data tells you what’s being built. Decisions tell you what’s being planned—often months earlier.Earlier Project Visibility
Zoning decisions typically precede permit applications by weeks or months. A rezoning approval for a multifamily development signals future permit activity before any application is filed.Complete Development Lifecycle
Combined with Shovels permit and contractor data, Decisions provide a complete view of development projects from first city council discussion through certificate of occupancy.Market Intelligence
Track infrastructure decisions, density changes, and development approvals to anticipate market movements before ground is broken.Decisions are particularly valuable for enterprise customers making major infrastructure decisions, including site selection for data centers, fiber deployment planning, and real estate development.
How Decisions Complement Permits
| Data Type | What It Tells You | When It’s Available |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions | What’s being proposed and approved | Earliest stage—city council discussions |
| Permits | What’s being built and by whom | After approval—construction phase |
| Contractors | Who’s doing the work and their track record | Throughout construction |