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How Envision was used to Reconstruct Oregon Avenue

17-December-2020

Everyone knows that horizontal infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) can destroy lush and verdant natural lands and hurt important animal habits. That is why reconstruction on Oregon Avenue in Washington, D.C., called for a different approach— it called for Envision sustainability.

In the following white paper, Oliver Boehm, manager of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design at Volkert, Inc., discusses how they used Envision to collaborate with infrastructure stakeholders and others to reconstruct Oregon Avenue so it would be more sustainable and resilient.

Stakeholders identified multiple existing conditions posing significant transportation deficiencies: deteriorating pavements; substandard roadway geometry; inconsistent roadway width; inadequate stormwater drainage; deficient structures, lighting, and transit facilities; poor sight distance; and a lack of pedestrian facilities.

Volkert, Inc. (Volkert) developed a comprehensive roadway reconstruction design that resolves transportation, community, and natural system issues as part of one holistic project. The design process followed an approach that used sensitive materials and practices to either preserve or enhance the landscape. Please check out the white paper here.

Le manuel de référence Envision v3 est maintenant offert en français | The Envision v3 Manual is now in French

15-December-2020

English to Follow

Les Canadiens sont proactifs, passionnés et engagés dans la conception et la création d’infrastructure durables, résilientes et équitables; ISI facilite considérablement cette tâche. Jusqu’à présent, le manuel de référence Envision v3 n’était offert qu’en anglais, mais il est maintenant aussi offert en français.

Cela contribuera grandement à offrir à tous les Canadiens l’occasion d’utiliser Envision et de consulter le processus de vérification du projet dans la langue officielle de leur choix.

Depuis la création d’ISI il y a 10 ans, l’utilisation d’Envision a connu une croissance régulière au Canada et les professionnels de la durabilité Envision (PD ENV) ont manifesté un grand intérêt à diriger des projets d’infrastructure civile à travers le pays.

La version française du manuel de référence Envision v3 permet à tous les Canadiens de concevoir et de créer de meilleures infrastructures pour protéger l’environnement, améliorer la santé et le bien-être de la population, et soutenir l’économie.

Pour accéder à votre copie et la télécharger, connectez-vous ou créez votre compte ISI gratuit : www.sustainableinfrastructure.org.

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Canadians are proactive, passionate, and committed to designing and building sustainable, resilient and equitable infrastructure – and ISI has just made this a lot easier. To date, the Envision v3 Guidance manual has only been offered in English, but as of today, it is also available in French.

This will go a long way in providing all Canadians with the opportunity to use Envision and navigate the project verification process in the official language of their choice.

Since ISI’s inception 10 years ago, Envision use has grown steadily in Canada, and there has been a great deal of interest in having Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs) lead civil infrastructure projects across the country.

The French version of the Envision v3 Guidance Manual enables all Canadians to design and build better infrastructure to protect the environment, enhance human health and well-being, and bolster economies.

To access and download your copy, log in to or create your free ISI account: www.sustainableinfrastructure.org.

 

California High-Speed Rail Receives National Award for Sustainability

10-December-2020

Washington, D.C. — December 10, 2020

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) announced today it has received national recognition with the Envision Platinum rating for its sustainability efforts. The Envision Platinum rating is the highest-level award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, and the award is the first time a program the size and complexity of the state’s high-speed rail project has earned such an honor.

The California high-speed rail system will change the way Californians travel throughout the state by offering a cleaner and more sustainable transportation alternative. The purpose of the high-speed rail system is to serve as the backbone of a safe, fast and reliable high-speed electrified train network that will connect the megaregions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs and preserve agricultural and protected lands. When completed, California high-speed rail will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours at speeds capable of exceeding 200 miles per hour. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations.

The Platinum Envision award achieved by the California High-Speed Rail (Authority) and its program partners demonstrates that sustainability is achievable across large-scale and complex transportation systems.

To learn more about this project, please visit the Project Profile, which can be found in the ISI Project Directory.

Important Announcement Regarding V2 Projects

8-December-2020

Please read this if you’re working on an Envision v2 project

Despite the continued impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, we are heartened to see so many project teams continuing their steadfast pursuit of sustainability and resiliency goals, including pursuing Envision verification. Many of these same teams are facing challenges with respect to submitting their v2 projects before the end of the year due to the continuing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s OK, we understand.

Our goal is to continue to do all we can to support as many projects as possible in their pursuit of Envision verification.

ISI had anticipated all v2 projects would complete verification by the v2 sunset date of December 31, 2020. As the pandemic unfolded, we then hoped all Envision v2 verification teams would be able to submit for first review on or before the end of the year, but we realize this will be a stretch for several teams, despite their best efforts to hit that target date.

In the spirit of sustainability, which includes health and well-being, we don’t want to be the source of unnecessary stress or pressure for project teams seeking verification under Envision v2.

Therefore, any project teams working on an Envision v2 project, know that we’re here to support you; that if submitting before the end of the year is not possible, we understand. You will be able to continue working with Envision v2, and we will review your project(s) when you’re ready and able to submit them for review.

Envision and COVID-19

If you’re experiencing other challenges with respect to using Envision during the pandemic, we encourage you to check out our “Envision and COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities” document which has been slightly updated to reflect this new message on submission timelines, and contains a lot of other great information about working with Envision during the pandemic.