Build the city of your dreams.
Subject to approval
You are the mayor. You know exactly what this city needs. Now get it past the zoning board, the neighbors, the appeals court and the next election.
Permit Pending is a city simulation in the spirit of the classics, with one difference: you are not a god. You are an elected mayor. Every apartment block, bus lane and factory goes through hearings, reviews, objections, lawsuits and appeals. The economy underneath is real. The neighbors are not always rational. Win the argument, or win the election. Ideally both.
How a good idea dies
A typical case from your inbox. The economic answer was obvious. The political path was not.
- Month 1: A tech boom pushes rents up. Young residents start to complain.
- Month 3: You rezone an empty lot for a 12-story apartment building.
- Month 4: Filed. Nearby homeowners organize over parking and "neighborhood character."
- Month 7: Hearing. You trade height for parking. The building is now 6 stories.
- Month 8: The smaller project no longer pays. The developer asks for a tax break.
- Month 9: Housing advocates criticize the lower count of affordable units.
- Month 11: Appeal. The board delays construction. A lawsuit is filed.
- Month 42: Rents are still rising. Young voters blame you for the shortage. Homeowners blame you for the proposal.
- Month 48: Election day.
Build absolutely nothing
Every improvement creates opposition
New housing lowers rents and angers homeowners. New industry brings jobs and smog. Better transit attracts development, and development attracts opponents. Fix one problem and you create a new group of voters who are angry about it.
Hearings, appeals and lawsuits
Your inbox fills with applications, controversies and recurring characters. Negotiate concessions at public hearings, win votes on a seven-seat council, and spend your political clout wisely. Some cases last longer than your term.
An economy that keeps score
Residents have ages, incomes and homes. Businesses hire, grow and leave. Land values, rents, jobs, taxes and services all connect. The city keeps changing while you are stuck in committee.
- Reelection every four years: High-turnout groups have more power than their numbers suggest. Know who votes.
- Understand every failure: Heatmaps, graphs and plain explanations show why voters are angry and which decision did it.
- The local paper: The Gazette reports your successes, your scandals and your parking minimums.
- Sandbox forever: No campaign and no win screen. The city goes on as long as the voters let you.
Pick your city
Start with a hamlet at a crossroads, or inherit somebody else's problems.
- Blank Slate: 200 residents. A hamlet at a crossroads and empty streets waiting for zoning.
- Small Town: 2,000 residents. A small town with room to grow. Nobody is organized yet.
- Booming Suburb: 25,000 residents. Housing demand and homeowners who are getting very organized.
- The Unaffordable Metropolis: 300,000 residents. A mature economy, severe land-use conflict and very entrenched interests.
What residents are saying
"I support new housing. Just not here." — Concerned Neighbor, Northgate
"The rent is too damn high!" — Renter, Riverside
"We have filed an appeal on procedural grounds. The procedure is the point." — Neighborhood Preservation League
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account or a download? No. The game runs in your browser. Saves stay on your computer, and after the first visit the game also works offline.
What do I need to play? A desktop or laptop with a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari). A mouse helps.
Can I win? Not exactly. It's a sandbox. Your goal is the city you want, and your challenge is to stay in office long enough to build it.
Your application is complete.
The hearing is scheduled. The neighbors are already here.
