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Anthony Kane featured on Bigger Than Us Podcast

11-March-2022

Newly released on the Bigger Than Us Podcast, ISI’s president and CEO Anthony Kane shares his thoughts on using Envision, assembling diverse teams to improve decision making, making infrastructure more equitable, and more. He was interviewed by Raj Daniels. This 36-minute podcast is very much worth a listen. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, and Anchor.

? Apple: apple.co/3MBgV8w
? Spotify: spoti.fi/3J7SMnO
? Anchor: https://bit.ly/3vPWoqN

 

STM’s new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station in Montréal earns Envision Gold Award

23-February-2022

STM’s new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station project in Montréal, Québec was awarded a Gold Envision Rating for sustainable infrastructure.

This is STM’s second Envision-verified project. Their first was the Côte-Vertu garage project which was awarded Envision Platinum in September, 2021.

–French Translation Follows–

The new entrance building to the Vendôme metro station project in Montréal, Québec was awarded a Gold Envision Rating for sustainable infrastructure. Built in partnership with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), exo, and the McGill University Heath Centre (MUHC); this project was designed to provide universal access to the Vendôme intermodal hub from the MUHC.

The project consists of developing a new entrance to the Vendôme metro station and a pedestrian link between Maisonneuve Boulevard, the Vendôme intermodal hub, and the MUHC. The new Vendôme station infrastructure, including the entrance, train station platforms, a pedestrian tunnel leading to the hospital complex, and walkways, are equipped with elevators and universal accessibility devices, such as enlarged motorized butterfly doors and swing gates.

The aims of this project are to:

— Improve traffic flow and capacity within the station to meet the increasing number of users.
— Connect the MUHC to the Vendôme intermodal hub.
— Make the station universally accessible.
— Improve the operational efficiency of the station.

View the full announcement in the Project Directory.

–French Translation–

Le projet de nouvel édicule de la station de métro Vendôme à Montréal, au Québec, s’est vu décerner la distinction Envision Or pour son infrastructure durable.

Il s’agit du deuxième projet Envision pour la STM. Leur premier était le projet de Garage Côte-Vertu qui a reçu Envision Platine en septembre 2021.

Le projet de nouvel édicule de la station de métro Vendôme à Montréal, au Québec, s’est vu décerner la distinction Envision Or pour son infrastructure durable. Construit en partenariat avec la Société de transport de Montréal (STM), exo et le Centre universitaire de santé McGill (CUSM), ce projet a été conçu pour offrir une accessibilité universelle au pôle multimodal Vendôme depuis le CUSM.

Il comprend la construction d’un nouvel accès menant à la station de métro Vendôme et un lien piétonnier entre le boulevard De Maisonneuve, le pôle multimodal Vendôme et le CUSM. Le nouveau bâtiment d’accès à la station de métro facilite grandement les déplacements pour toutes les clientèles, notamment celle à mobilité réduite. Les quais de la gare exo, le tunnel piétonnier menant vers le Centre universitaire de santé McGill, ainsi que les aménagements de surface sont pourvus d’ascenseurs et de dispositifs d’accessibilité universelle, tels que des portes-papillon motorisées élargies et des portillons à vantaux.

Le projet vise à :

— améliorer la circulation à l’intérieur de la station et sa capacité d’accueil pour tenir compte du nombre croissant d’usagers;
— relier le CUSM au pôle multimodal Vendôme;
— rendre la station universellement accessible;
— améliorer l’efficacité de la station sur le plan opérationnel.

Consultez l’annonce complète dans le répertoire des projets.

2022 Envision Webinar Schedule

17-December-2021

ISI has an impressive line-up of webinar topics and speakers for 2022. Learn timely information, while advancing your knowledge of sustainable, resilient, and equitable infrastructure. Our webinars are designed to meet the needs of a range of sustainability practitioners — from Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs) who have worked on numerous Envision projects, to those just starting out on their sustainability journey, to everyone in-between.

Please sign up for the webinars of interest to you using the registration links below. Registration is complimentary! (All webinars hosted by ISI qualify for education hours toward maintaining your ENV SP credential. Where noted with an asterisk (*) webinars qualify for prescribed education hours. For current and prospective ENV SPs, please view our Guidance Document for ENV SP Credential Holders for a list of annual credential maintenance requirements.)

 

UPCOMING WEBINARS


💻  Exploring the Nexus of NEPA, Sustainability, and Envision
Presented by Caroline Pinegar, HNTB Corporation; Lauren Evans, Pinyon Environmental, Inc.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Exploring the Nexus of NEPA, Sustainability, and Envision

This webinar will focus on the benefits of starting the Envision process during early planning phases and specifically during the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) process.

The potential advantages and early lessons learned while working on projects that are committed to an Envision certification by the time the NEPA process begins will be discussed.  The presenters’ initial experiences have shown that projects undergoing NEPA are able to take advantage of the synergies between NEPA and Envision and vice versa.

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🆕  Federal Sustainable Infrastructure Initiatives
A presentation by Ingrid Kolb, Director, Office of Management, U.S. Department of Energy
Wednesday, April 6, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Ingrid Kolb, Department of Energy presentation

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💻  Envision Highlights Omaha RiverFront Innovation – A Credit Deep Dive
Presented by Jennifer Ninete, HDR
Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Envision Highlights Omaha Riverfront

The Riverfront Revitalization Project (known locally as The RiverFront) was Platinum Envision verified in October 2021. The first project in Nebraska to receive Envision recognition is transforming downtown Omaha along the Missouri River by connecting three parks near the city’s downtown core, including the Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park, and Lewis and Clark Landing. This transformation includes numerous innovative elements that were highlighted in the project’s Envision submittal. The webinar will examine the project’s Quality of Life and Leadership innovation credits, in addition to providing some insight into the overall verification process.

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🆕  Federal Sustainable Infrastructure Initiatives
A presentation by Michael Connor, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Michael Connor, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers presentation

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💻  Foundational Decade for Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure
*This course qualifies toward 2 prescribed hours of education toward ENV SP credential maintenance.
Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 2:00 – 4:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Foundational Decade for Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure

ISI’s 10-year history is built on a foundation of grassroots advocacy by people who are passionate about sustainable infrastructure. This course showcases the key influencers, along with the milestone projects that served as the platform for ISI’s growth and increasing Envision use across the U.S., Canada, and globally.  It also prepares ENV SPs for advocacy by strengthening their foundational knowledge of ISI and the Envision framework. Examples are presented to demonstrate success by ISI members, ENV SPs, and project teams throughout the past 10 years. These will inform future efforts and inspire expanded use of Envision.

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💻  The City of Fort Wayne’s Journey with Envision
Presented by: Pat Carney, City of Fort Wayne
Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: City of Fort Wayne’s Journey with Envision

This presentation will cover Fort Wayne’s implementation of Envision within the City Utilities Engineering Department and lessons learned. Beginning with engaging design, engineering and construction firms, the speaker will show how over 50 projects have used the Envision framework as part of the project process. Creation of custom internal guidance documents helped quantify the Envision credits, and these documents will be exemplified through practical use cases.

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💻  Socially Just and Equitable Infrastructure; COVID-19: Road to Recovery
*This course qualifies toward 2 prescribed hours of education toward ENV SP credential maintenance.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 2:00 – 4:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Socially Just and Equitable Infrastructure

Part one of this two-part webinar takes a look at how justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion intersect with the infrastructure industry. Their importance and relationship with each other are explored, while the process of how to achieve and measure equitable outcomes is provided.

Part two begins by comparing and contrasting how various infrastructure sectors were affected by the shock of COVID-19, prior to focusing on the emphasis of resilience, and its requirement to safeguard infrastructure assets from future “black sheep” events.

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💻  Envision, Taking a Systems Approach to Sustainable Infrastructure
Presented by: Mary Simmerer, California Department of Water Resources
Wednesday, October 5, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Envision, Taking a Systems Approach

Infrastructure creates the groundwork for human activities and human communities. It undergirds the structure of the economy and ties into other systems, creating interlocking systems. When building new infrastructure, ignoring the system approach means the resulting infrastructure is less effective and less able to tie into other systems. The risk of system failure is, therefore, high.

Using the Envision rating tool helps identify critical system components and brings system solutions to system problems. This presentation highlights basic-system-theory principles and shows how using Envision works with basic-system principles to create healthier, more sustainable infrastructure.

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💻  Net Embodied Carbon
Presented by Michelle Christopherson, WSP; Frank Schwamborn and Rebecca Ramsdale, Verdical Group
Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Zoom registration link: Net Embodied Carbon

The presentation will define common carbon-related terms, explain how embodied carbon is measured and tracked, and discuss strategies for how to reduce your project’s embodied carbon.

The goal is to walk the audience through real-life hurdles to make significant embodied carbon emissions reductions. Experts will share rationale and common embodied carbon reduction strategies, and discuss the lessons learned from project experience to overcome challenges.

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PAST WEBINARS

Missed one or more of ISI’s webinars? Not to worry, recordings of past webinars are available through the “All Courses” library in your Envision account. 

Envision Implementation: Organization-wide Strategies; Best Practices for Using Envision on Projects and Across Portfolios
Wednesday, January 26, 2022, 2:00 – 4:00 pm ET
*This webinar qualifies toward 2 prescribed hours of education toward ENV SP credential maintenance.

An increasing number of public and private sector stakeholders are using Envision to plan, design, and deliver more sustainable infrastructure by setting standards, establishing policies, and pursuing verification.

Part 1 of this 2-part webinar demonstrates how Envision can be used to develop a holistic approach that extends beyond individual project success. Leaders from across all industry sectors offer detailed examples that illustrate ways Envision has bolstered their sustainable business practices. These examples are intended to inspire new approaches that can be strategically integrated into everyday operations. Part 2 further shows how Envision may be used as a tool to implement best practices and enhance designs beyond the success of individual projects.  The examples illustrated throughout this course are models for Envision that standardize implementation approaches across the project life cycle.

U.S. Federal Sustainability Plan: Goals and Strategy

Presented by Andrew Mayock, Federal Chief Sustainability Officer
Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Nuts and Bolts for Local Government: Building Internal Support, Training Staff & Operationalizing Process

Presented by Carol Davis, Town of Blacksburg
Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

What does it take to integrate the Envision framework into the way your local government approaches infrastructure?

Carol Davis, the Sustainability Manager for the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia will share background on why her community came to embrace Envision, how key decision-makers and staff were engaged and trained, and how Blacksburg integrated Envision into critical process steps that intersect with the lifecycle of infrastructure projects, from early visioning to post-construction operations.

ENV SP Packet

15-December-2021

Are you thinking about becoming an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP), but aren’t sure exactly what is involved in earning the credential? The ENV SP packet may help.

Learn about the different Membership types, fees, and what is involved in training, the exam, and credential renewal, among other important considerations.  You can also download a pdf copy or view a copy on the  Marketing resources webpage.

CSCE & ISI Partner to Accelerate the use of Envision® in Canada

7-December-2021

A French message will follow / Un message en français suivra 

CSCE & ISI Partner to Accelerate the use of the Envision® Sustainable Infrastructure Framework in Canada

Washington, D.C., December  7, 2021 – Communities across Canada are looking for ways to improve the sustainability and resiliency of the built environment, address infrastructure deficits, spur economic recovery, and meet climate change commitments. Recognizing the importance of these crucial goals, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) are pleased to announce their partnership to accelerate the use of the Envision® sustainable infrastructure framework more broadly in Canada.

View the entire announcement in English & French.

La Société canadienne de génie civil et l’ISI s’associent pour accélérer l’utilisation du cadre Envision® pour les infrastructures durables au Canada

Les collectivités de partout au Canada cherchent des moyens d’améliorer la durabilité et la résilience de l’environnement bâti, de combler les lacunes en matière d’infrastructure, de stimuler la reprise économique et de respecter les engagements en matière de lutte contre le changement climatique. Consciente de l’importance de ces objectifs cruciaux, la Société canadienne de génie civil (SCGC) et l’Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) sont heureux d’annoncer leur partenariat visant à accélérer l’utilisation du cadre Envision® pour les infrastructures durables à plus grande échelle au Canada.

View the entire announcement in English and French.

Gordie Howe International Bridge Earns Envision Platinum Rating

2-December-2021

THE GORDIE HOWE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE, OWNED BY WINDSOR-DETROIT BRIDGE AUTHORITY, EARNS AN
ENVISION® PLATINUM RATING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide an essential international crossing between Windsor, Ontario, Canada and Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. This is a once-in-a-generation undertaking that will deliver significant and much-needed transportation improvements for international travelers and will provide jobs and economic growth opportunities, among other benefits.

The Windsor-Detroit trade corridor is considered the busiest commercial border crossing between Canada and the United States, accounting for more than 25 percent of all surface trade between the two countries. The Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide for redundancy at the critical trade corridor with improved border processing and highway-to-highway international connectivity. It also addresses future needs and will provide six lanes to meet anticipated growth in traffic over the years to come.

This project is being delivered through a public-private partnership (P3), a model where the private- and public-sector partners assume an appropriate share of the risks and where the private-sector’s expertise, efficiencies, and innovations are utilized in the delivery of this large-scale project. The P3 model is also good for taxpayers. An independent value-for-money analysis concluded that the P3 model will result in project savings of more than $560 million, a 10.7% difference compared to more traditional procurement methods.

Learn more about the sustainability, resiliency, and equity of this project in the Project Awards Directory.

Envision Packet

29-November-2021

Are you looking for a way to showcase Envision® sustainability and help others fully comprehend exactly what it can do? The 14-page Envision packet may be precisely what you need.

You can download the packet, or read the packet below. You can also view it on our Marketing Resources page.

STM’s Underground Garage near the Côte-Vertu Metro station in Montréal earns Envision Platinum for Sustainable Infrastructure

29-September-2021

STM’s Underground Garage near the Côte-Vertu Metro station in Montréal earns Envision Platinum for Sustainable Infrastructure

–French Translation Follows–

The Garage souterrain pour voitures de métro a proximité de la station Côte-Vertu (Côte-Vertu garage) project was conceptualized in response to a need for an accessible location to maintain and park trains while relieving mounting pressure on a busy and growing metro network. The underground garage comprises a 10-story building that includes a track for trains to circulate from the Côte-Vertu station to the garage, a large area with a network of tracks to divert trains once they arrive, and three underground tunnels, including two tunnels to park and one to maintain trains.

The goals of the project are to:

  • Provide a parking area for trains
  • Increase the capacity of the metro network, enabling the addition of trains on the Orange line, thereby increasing service frequency during rush hour
  • Support the anticipated growth of the metro network over the next ten years
  • Ensure enough capacity for the eventual expansion of the Blue line.

View the entire announcement in the Project Awards Directory.

–French Translation–

Le projet de garage souterrain pour voitures de métro (Garage Côte-Vertu) de la Société de transport de Montréal (STM), a été conçu en réponse à plusieurs besoins dont celui d’avoir un endroit accessible pour entretenir les trains et celui d’équilibrer les espaces de stationnement aux extrémités de la ligne desservie. Situé à proximité de la station Côte-Vertu, il permettra une plus grande fréquence de passages afin de soulager la pression croissante sur une ligne de métro déjà chargée. Le garage Côte-Vertu est constitué de trois bâtiments de surface, dont un bâtiment de dix étages qui plonge sous terre jusqu’aux tunnels pour y loger un atelier d’entretien. Le projet comporte aussi une voie de raccordement pour que les trains puissent accéder au garage à partir de la station terminale Côte-Vertu et un imposant faisceau avec plusieurs appareils de voies pour guider les trains vers l’un des trois tunnels.

Les objectifs du projet sont de:

  • Ajouter dix espaces de stationnement pour les trains du métro ;
  • Augmenter la capacité du réseau de métro avec l’ajout de trains sur la ligne orange ce qui accroitra la fréquence de service jusqu’à 25 % aux heures de pointe ;
  • Soutenir la croissance de l’achalandage prévue pour les prochaines années;
  • Augmenter l’offre de service en vue du prolongement de la ligne bleue.

Projet vérifié par Envision

New ISI, McMaster University, & CSCE Collaboration in Canada

20-August-2021

Read more

City of Red Deer’s Water Treatment Plant RMF Earns Envision Bronze Award

15-July-2021

City of Red Deer’s Water Treatment Plant Residuals Management Facility
Awarded Envision® Bronze for Sustainable Infrastructure

Washington, D.C.— July 15, 2021 — Home to more than 101,000 residents, the City of Red Deer, which is located in central Alberta, operates a conventional surface water treatment plant that draws water from the Red Deer River and provides clean drinking water to the city and its regional customers. The primary goal of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Residuals Management Facility (RMF) is to improve the quality of the waste stream from the clarification process at the WTP prior to its discharge into the Red Deer River. Improved treatment of the waste streams from the new WTP RMF will reduce the visible plume created by the current discharge, reduce solids sedimentation and associated impacts on fish habitats, improve the river’s aesthetics, and encourage recreational activities.

The project is being constructed on a now out-of-service water treatment plant and sludge dewatering facility. These facilities are being demolished to accommodate the new RMF.

To learn more, visit the Project Awards Directory.