Entitlements in Arterial allow you to quickly compare the as-of-right regulations to your proposed massing, and based on precedence, find the probability of success. A specific entitlement is simply a question about a massing that can be linked to policy — each massing has a large set of potential entitlements that can be simulated, and each one is composed of:
  • Policy reference: what the entitlement is trying to validate (e.g. maximum height, transition guidelines, etc.)
  • Policy range: the maximum and minimum extents as laid out in as-of-right policies (i.e. zoning & official plans)
  • Design range: the extent to which the typology needs to be influenced (in non-policy documents)
From these values, Arterial can provide information on:
  • Compliance: whether the massing meets AOR specifications
  • Precedents: the number of similar applications that have been approved in a particular radius
  • Probability of variance success: how likely your project is to be built, given policy restrictions
Arterial comes with a large set of useful entitlement simulations informed by customer feedback, and full simulations can be done with one click.

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Quickstart

1

Massing Creation

Entitlements are based on a massing typology; unit types are not required for most entitlement simulations, but can be used to inform designs.
See Massing for more information on how to create a massing.
2

Entitlement Simulation

Once a massing is created, navigate to the Entitlements tab in the sidebar or in the bottom-left legend of the massing page.All of the applicable entitlement simulation possibilities will be listed; click Investigate to run the simulation (this may take a few seconds).

Entitlements can be simulated from the sidebar or legend.

3

Analysis

Arterial will automatically update with the entitlement simulation results; clicking into an entitlement will reveal the analysis behind the simulation’s results.If the massing is not AOR compliant, you can use the View Precedence Search button to look at development precedence in the area.
For more information on how to interpret planning rationales and precedences, see the Precedence documentation.

Entitlements can be simulated from the sidebar or legend.

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Analyzing Entitlements

Entitlements are complex and are composed of a number of useful characteristics that help determine the likelihood of approval. Each entitlement evaluation considers multiple factors including policy compliance, design guidelines, and historical precedents.

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Policy Ranges

Policy ranges are essentially a maximum/minimum judgement of what the allowed AOR versions are. For instance, the maximum and minimum height of a building as defined in zoning gives us an initial range to work with. Arterial will first find the ranges for both design guidelines (influencing typology and built form) and zoning/other legislative policies (which give us a foundation of legal stability). Each entitlement is paired with an architectural component of a massing, allowing us to directly compare the policies to the massing itself. Maximum/minimum ranges are highlighted on the entitlement, and the reasoning and comparison details are under their own respective bolded subheadings.

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Legislation vs Design Guidelines

We split up entitlements into both zoning and design guidelines because they support different parts of the analysis. Design guidelines are tacit pieces that influence whether or not something will be approved, and zoning is a point-blank issuance of as-of-right ability. Together, they allow us to model out the likelihood of something being approved. This dual approach provides a comprehensive view of both the legal requirements and the more subjective design considerations that planning departments typically evaluate.

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Viewing Precedents

In cases where entitlement analysis says that the building cannot be approved AOR, Arterial will help find precedents for your project. We’ll display a little overview of the applications found—with the number approved and rejected. To view the precedents, you can click on View Precedents. This precedent analysis helps you understand how similar projects have been evaluated in the past and provides context for the likelihood of your project’s approval.

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Next Steps

Export Information

Export your entitlement analyses and datasets in a variety of formats

View Policies

Explore the underlying zoning and policy frameworks for your project

View Precedents

Analyze similar development applications and their approval outcomes

Configure Layouts

Set up unit arrangements and floor plate designs for your massing