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Research Paper Considers the Equity Lens in Envision and Other Rating Systems

22-February-2023

Social equity, historically overlooked in the A/E/C industry, is receiving more attention of late as stakeholders have pushed for more diverse approaches to project delivery for communities. When considering equity in the A/E/C industry, it can be instructive to look at how different rating systems grapple with the concept, says new research, published in the journal Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability.

Sustainability frameworks all attempt in different ways to encourage social equity achievement, the authors find. Moreover, they argue that differences in how these systems understand and value the idea can contribute to substantial differences in actual project conception and implementation.

Titled “Social equity in sustainability certification systems for the built environment: understanding concepts, value, and practice implications,” the article cautions that project teams need to bring a clear set of goals regarding equity of what and for whom. Also fundamental are “the ideas of how to measure and evaluate the distribution of social costs / benefits in order to put social equity into practice.”

The research, authored by a team from HDR, Inc., was published at the end of January and can be freely accessed at: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2634-4505/ac949d

“Equity and social justice refer to the responsibility of a society to ensure that civil and human rights are preserved and protected for each individual, and that all persons are treated equally and without prejudice. These issues are particularly relevant to infrastructure development, which often involves the provision of significant benefits as well as potentially significant impacts.” — Envision v3, Introduction, p. 15

Envision® and Equity

Envision provides a consistent, consensus-based framework for assessing sustainability, resiliency, and equity in civil infrastructure. The equity dimension is embedded in Envision and paired with the term “social justice.” The dedicated Credit titled QL3.1 – “Advance Equity & Social Justice” is designed to ensure equity and social justice are “fundamental considerations within project processes and decision making.” The evaluation metric to be used is the degree to which equity and social justice are included in stakeholder engagement, project team commitments, and decision making. Higher levels of achievement for this credit call for empowerment of communities to engage in the development process, or even positively addressing or correcting an existing or historic injustice or imbalance.

The “Advance Equity & Social Justice” credit is related to these other Quality of Life Credits: QL1.2 (“Enhance Public Health and Safety”), QL2.1 (“Improve Community Mobility and Access”), QL2.2 (“Encourage Sustainable Transportation”), and QL3.2 (“Preserve Historic and Cultural Resources”). It is also related to Leadership Credits LD1.3 (“Preserve Historic and Cultural Resources”), LD2.2 (“Plan for Sustainable Communities”), LD3.1 (“Stimulate Economic Prosperity and Development”), and LD3.2 (“Develop Local Skills and Capabilities”).

The Envision framework ties equity goals to a wide array of other project goals and activities. For example, in QL.1 (“Enhance Public Health and Safety”) the historic factors of equity and social justice within the project context are among the criteria that the project team should consider. This is to demonstrate that health and safety risks and impacts are not disproportionately borne by one community over another.

ISI welcomes Mark Pestrella to its Board of Directors

25-January-2023

Washington D.C., 25 January 2023 — ISI is very pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Pestrella, P.E., the Director of Los Angeles County Public Works, to its Board of Directors. He fills the seat vacated by Gary Lee Moore (City of Los Angeles), who completed his term in 2022. ISI thanks Gary for his tireless leadership and dedication to ISI.

As communities and public agencies look to solutions like ISI’s signature Envision framework to achieve sustainability, equity, and resiliency in the built environment, ISI is fortunate to be able to attract dedicated infrastructure professionals of outstanding calibre to join the leadership team at ISI.

“Mark Pestrella brings nearly four decades of experience providing leadership in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of complex infrastructure systems of every description at LA County Public Works, and his department, from the beginning, has also been a key member and partner for ISI in advancing sustainable and resilient infrastructure practices,” says Anthony Kane, ISI’s president and CEO, and ex-officio member of the Board.

As Director of L.A. County Public Works, Mark Pestrella serves as the Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, the County Road Commissioner, and the County Engineer. With an annual budget of more than $2.7 billion and a workforce of 4,000 employees, Los Angeles County Public Works is the largest municipal public works agency in the United States, providing vital public infrastructure and civic services to more than 10 million people across a 4,000-square-mile service area. Its diverse operations are defined within the following business areas: Water Resources, Transportation, Environmental Services, Construction Management, and Municipal Services.

He was nominated to ISI’s Board by the American Public Works Association (APWA), one of the three national engineering organizations that co-founded ISI, with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). He is a longtime APWA member and advocate for sustainable infrastructure and under his leadership, Public Works has set records in leading a sustainable infrastructure sector. In 2015, Public Works was publicly recognized by ISI as the first government agency in the U.S. to credential 100 Envision Sustainability Professionals, and the number has now grown close to 400. In 2016, he successfully assisted the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in adopting EnvisionTM as the infrastructure standard of the County, making the County one of the first public agencies in the U.S. to do so.

Mr. Pestrella will serve alongside Board Chair Michael Murcha (Madison Metropolitan Sewage District) and Board Members Erin Cooke (San Francisco International Airport), Lauren Evans (Pinyon Environmental), Sergio Pecori (Hanson Professional Services Inc.) and Renee Ring (Environmental Financial Consulting Group).

Envision Review Board Podcast

12-January-2023

Great initiative here from ISI’s Envision Review Board! Richard Fernandez of Aquario Engineering interviewed Margaret Cederoth, Director of Planning and Sustainability at the California High-Speed Rail Authority for a special Envision Review Board Podcast. Have a listen …

 

Welcoming the Envision Review Board’s newest member: Patricia Gómez

6-January-2023

ISI would like to take the opportunity to recognize the newest member of the Envision Review Board: Patricia Gómez, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer with Miami-Dade County. You can learn more about Dr. Gómez in her bio below.

Originally created in 2015, the Envision Review Board is comprised of industry-leading infrastructure professionals representing public agencies, private companies, and general interest groups. The mission of the Envision Review Board is to ensure the continued integrity and efficacy of Envision and its associated tools, resources, and documents; to provide for consistency in interpretation and development; and to assure the ongoing relevance of the tool and its associated best practices to the highest standards of scholarship and practice. In this way, Envision is a tool created and overseen by the infrastructure industry itself. More about the Envision Review Board.

Bio: Patricia Gómez

Patricia Gómez, Ph.D., PE, CEM, GBE, LEED AP, has more than 20 years of direct experience working on engineering and sustainability-related opportunities in both the public sector and private industries.

Dr. Gómez currently serves as the Deputy Chief Resilience Officer in Miami-Dade County’s Office of Resilience. During her county career Dr. Gómez has successfully implemented several projects that have increase the sustainability and resilience of the county operations and the community and reduced electricity consumption such as the enterprise-wide utility billing management software, and the Building Efficiency 305 (BE305), the Climate Action Strategy and on-site solar installations for county facilities.

She began her career with Miami-Dade County as an Engineer with the Department of Environmental Resources Management working on the County’s Climate Action Plan. Dr. Gómez is a LEED AP BD+C accredited professional, a Certified Energy Manager and a Professional Engineer in the State of Florida. Dr. Gomez holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami.

‘Pushing the Boundaries of What Sustainability Means for Airports Infrastructure’

4-January-2023

The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) has earned an Envision Platinum award for their Runway 5R-23L & Taxiway D Strengthening and Capacity Enhancement Project at Indianapolis International Airport (IND).

IND is a medium hub primary commercial service facility located on approximately 7,700 acres seven miles southwest of downtown Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana. Home to the second-largest FedEx Express Hub in the world, IND is a crucial link in the movement of freight across the globe. This Project centers on Runway 5R-23L and Taxiway D, critical facilities located on the airport’s southeast side. Known as the “south parallel,” Runway 5R-23L is a 150-foot-wide-by-10,000-foot-long runway. It supports most cargo operations at the airport, along with a significant amount of commercial airline traffic.

The project’s Envision-verified achievements center on contributions to the local economy and workforce development, engagement with partners to specifically guide those contributions, use of a life-cycle economic analysis to support decision-making, renewable energy measures, and novel uses of technology to reduce carbon emissions.

“The Runway 5R-23L and Taxiway D Reconstruction exemplifies the Indianapolis Airport Authority’s commitment to meeting our operational needs without compromising the natural environment,” said Mario Rodriguez, IAA executive director. “From day one, we have kept the community front of mind and worked with a diverse set of individuals to deliver a meaningful project that emphasizes the airport’s public value to our stakeholders, passengers, and community.”

“The Indy airport is committed to sustainable and resilient development, maintenance, and operations,” said Jarod Klaas, IAA senior director of planning and development. “We accomplish this with the help of our team members, project partners, and the support and guidance of the Federal Aviation Administration.”

“This project has pushed the boundaries of what sustainability means for airport infrastructure,” said Todd Cavender, IAA director of environment and sustainability. “Our focus on public value enabled us to think creatively and work with industry partners to maximize environmental, social, and economic outcomes for all involved.”

“We are pleased to announce an Envision Platinum Award for Indianapolis International Airport’s Runway 5R-23L & Taxiway D Strengthening and Capacity Enhancement Project.” said Melissa Peneycad, ISI managing director. “The project team recognized the potential for job creation with the project but went much further, collaborating with local partners to address opportunity gaps and proposing an even stronger community impact. The project also builds in several environmental accomplishments, and notably, it represents the first-ever FAA-approved design for an airfield project using carbon capture technology.”

Read the full announcement Read our Envision for Airports Executive Brief

Envision Rating System Featured by Arup

24-August-2022

Ahead of COP27, Nathalie Angel of Arup interviewed ISI’s Anthony Kane about the creation and growth of the transformative sustainability framework and rating system for infrastructure that is Envision™.

The interview focused on the history of ISI, how the infrastructure sector came to identify the need for a sustainability measuring tool for sustainability, and how Envision filled that gap. The exchange also provided an opportunity to highlight the value that the ENV SP credential and Envision verification hold for Arup members and projects, aligning with the theme of decarbonization of cities at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference (Nov. 6 – 18, 2022).

Here is a link to the interview, which was published in Arup’s newsletter.

LANDSCAPE/ENVIRONMENTAL: East Side Coastal Resiliency Project

1-August-2022

The East Side Coastal Resiliency project uses a series of berms, flood walls, flood gates and raised parklands to create a continuous 2.4-mile barrier to protect 110,000 residents of the Lower East Side in Manhattan from future coastal and tidal flooding.

NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley announced Aug. 1 that the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project, which is enhancing parks while creating a 2.4-mile long flexible flood barrier extending from Montgomery Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side up to Asser Levy Playground at East 25th Street, has been awarded “Envision Gold” for sustainability from ISI.

ESCR is a $1.45-billion climate resiliency project that will provide flood protection and improve open spaces for more than 110,000 New Yorkers, including 28,000 residents in NYCHA housing. This is especially significant for neighborhoods in the ESCR project area that were severely impacted by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Managed by DDC, the project involves significant upgrades to public open spaces and five parks, including improved waterfront access through reconstructed bridges and entry points. It will also upgrade existing sewer systems to capture and manage precipitation during storms.

Quotes:

NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley: “DDC is honored to bring flood protection and improve open spaces for 110,000 New Yorkers who were affected by Sandy and who live in an area with limited recreational opportunities. DDC and all of City government are taking climate change seriously and targeting our efforts to the communities that need it most. I’d like to thank the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure for recognizing this project with its Envision Gold Award.”

Mayor Eric Adams: “It is affirmational to be honored for our work to protect New Yorkers from the impacts of climate change. In the face of the biggest environmental threat we all face – we will continue to plan ahead, innovate, and get stuff done for New Yorkers.”

View the full announcement in our Project Directory.

WATER TREATMENT: New Saco River Water Drinking Water Resource

13-July-2022

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) has awarded Maine Water Company’s Saco River Drinking Water Resource Center the Envision Silver Award for sustainable infrastructure. The center treats and filters water from the Saco River in Biddeford, Maine so that 40,000 people in the communities of Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Pine Point have a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water that meets all state and federal drinking water standards.

This award recognizes the success of the project team in achieving sustainability goals in these areas:

— Leadership in sustainability
— Use of renewable energy
— Protecting surface and groundwater sources
— Wetland restorage
— Preparing for long-term adaptability

On behalf of Maine Water employees and the company, we are pleased to be the first project in New England to receive a Silver Level Award from ISI. When it became clear that our 1884 drinking water plant needed to be replaced, we were intentional about demonstrating our long-held commitment to the environment and sustainability. The Saco River Drinking Water Resource Center will be a source of high-quality drinking water for decades and generations to come and will do so responsibly. We thank our partners Hazen and Sawyer and MWH who shared our passion and commitment to the project and its sustainability.

View the full announcement in our Project Directory.

BRIDGE PROJECT: Sixth Street Viaduct

13-July-2022

Photo courtesy of Skanska-Stacy and Witbeck (SSW).

The Sixth Street Viaduct, the largest bridge project in the history of Los Angeles, has earned an Envision Platinum award for sustainability, specifically for addressing community needs, adding significant public space and amenities, and improving community safety and resiliency.

The $588-million project is funded by the Federal Highway Transportation Administration, the California Department of Transportation, and the City of Los Angeles. The City’s Bureau of Engineering, under the leadership of City Engineer Gary Lee Moore and in partnership with the City’s Bureau of Contract Administration, led the development of the new Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project.

The new bridge was designed by HNTB Corp, with HNTB the Engineer and Architect of Record, in collaboration with Los Angeles architect Michael Maltzan Associates and Danish architect Dissing+Weitling. Construction of the bridge was delivered through CMGC and led by a joint venture of contractors Skanska-Stacy and Witbeck (SSW).

“The Ribbon of Light,” as the viaduct has been dubbed, opened with a July 9th public celebration held on the viaduct followed by full opening to traffic on July 10th, 2022.

Verified Sustainability Achievements

—Providing much-needed public space and amenities.
—Improving community safety and incorporating alternative modes of transportation into the project’s design.
—Rebuilding an iconic structure.
—Supporting long-term sustainable growth and development.
—Incorporating resiliency into the design.

Quote

“The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering is proud to deliver the largest bridge project in the city’s history,” said Gary Lee Moore, City Engineer. “The new viaduct looks to the future and will unite the community with a multi-model structure that will be a destination point for both residents and visitors. This project is an example of what future infrastructure projects should strive to achieve through collaboration with stakeholders and the delivery of a project that improves community mobility, quality of life, safety and resilience. The Sixth Street Viaduct has achieved these sustainable goals, as shown by the Platinum Envision award.”

View the full announcement in our Project Directory.

STORMWATER: Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Facility

14-April-2022

The Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment Project (LB-MUST) is a comprehensive and innovative regional project.

It will intercept and treat dry weather runoff, and first-flush storm flows generated within the City of Long Beach before discharging to the Los Angeles River and Estuary. The centralized downstream advanced treatment facility has a planned capacity capable of collecting and diverting approximately 41% of the City’s 12,200-acre watershed.

The LB-MUST is a prime example of a project in the Lower Los Angeles River Watershed that provides incentives for water agencies throughout each watershed to collaborate in managing the region’s water resources and setting regional priorities for water infrastructure and improving the region’s water self-reliance. This is a multi-benefit infrastructure project that achieves many essential goals such as:

— Advancing local hire and job training goals.

— Using nature-based solutions.

— Providing benefits to disadvantaged communities and economically distressed areas.

— Providing inspiration and education to other agencies and the community, such as delivering multi-benefit solutions to address community challenges.

Colin Averill, PE, Civil Engineer, City of Long Beach Public Works, Engineering Bureau: “Long Beach continues its commitment to improving water quality by delivering an innovative project to treat stormwater and urban runoff with capacity for a substantial portion of the City’s watershed. Sustainability extends beyond the project limits with water reuse, community, and environmental benefits that will support expanded greenspace along the LA River.”

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.