How to Build Faster in America. James Gallagher, CEO & Co-Founder, GreenLite

Permitting may be one of the most overlooked challenges in commercial real estate development, but it has an outsized impact on how quickly communities can build housing, retail, infrastructure and industrial projects. In this episode of From Where I Sit, ICSC President & CEO Tom McGee sits down with James Gallagher, CEO & Co-Founder of GreenLite, a real estate permitting platform that combines AI with human expertise. James breaks down why many permitting processes still rely on antiquated and inefficient workflows, despite growing demand for speed and efficiency across the development lifecycle. He explains how workforce shortages in planning and building departments, combined with fragmented local processes, create costly delays that affect projects of every size and asset class. The conversation also challenges common assumptions about permitting, including the idea that building codes are highly localized, and explores where technology can make the greatest impact. The discussion goes beyond permitting to examine the broader forces shaping development in the U.S. James shares why he believes the country is entering a new era of construction growth fueled by housing demand, infrastructure investment, data centers, manufacturing expansion and retail development. He also discusses the role AI can play in augmenting, rather than replacing, skilled professionals and offers lessons on leadership, team building and scaling a business drawn from his experience as a Marine Corps Officer and entrepreneur. Whether you're a developer, retailer, investor, contractor, architect, public official or anyone interested in real estate development, construction technology, permitting reform, AI in commercial real estate and the future of the built world, this conversation offers valuable insights into one of the industry's most pressing challenges. Follow From Where I Sit, hosted by Stevie Award-winner Tom McGee, for more conversations about the built economy. Follow Tom on LinkedIn:   / tommcgee2   Follow Tom on X: https://x.com/TomMcGeeCEO Follow James on LinkedIn:   / jamesabgallagher   Find out more about GreenLite: https://greenlite.com/ 00:00 – Meet James Gallagher and GreenLite 02:23 – Why construction permitting takes so long 06:18 – The workforce shortage behind development delays 09:52 – Permit intelligence and making permitting predictable 12:16 – How GreenLite speeds up the approval process 14:43 – The rise of private plan review 19:27 – Building an AI-powered construction tech company 22:46 – Why investors are betting on permitting technology 26:20 – AI agents and human expertise working together 28:15 – Why America may be entering a construction boom 31:25 – From Marine Corps officer to startup founder 37:12 – Leadership lessons from scaling a fast-growing company 39:44 – How AI will transform real estate development 42:37 – The future of permitting and development regulation 46:01 – Closing remarks This episode (S3E4) was recorded on October 12, 2026.