Could a LEED for Roads Spur Greener Infrastructure?
Envision™ Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System
“Introduced in 2012, the Envision rating system, created by the Zofnass Program and Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, strives to be for infrastructure what the LEED certification system is for buildings,” wrote Beth Buczynski, freelance writer and editor, in an article posted on care2.com.
Envision™ provides a holistic framework for evaluating and rating the community, environmental, and economic benefits of all types and sizes of infrastructure projects. It evaluates, grades, and gives recognition to infrastructure projects that use transformational, collaborative approaches to assess the sustainability indicators over the course of the project’s life cycle.
“Roads are the connective tissue of commerce and make economic growth possible,” says Bill Bertera, president and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. “Since 
connectivity drives GDP, how we prep our infrastructure for the future is an important consideration, especially for the business community.”
“The US Green Building Council focuses on the vertical infrastructure and we focus on horizontal infrastructure. Between the two organizations, we can offer a community a complete palette for making itself more sustainable.”
“The evolving Envision system is performance-based and adaptable based on project size and complexity, allowing state and federal agencies to use it for the very largest projects, while allowing local governments to use it for smaller projects. The system will also include an option for self-assessment, as well as third-party certification.”
About the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI)
ISI was founded by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
ISI is structured to develop and maintain a sustainability rating system for civil infrastructure. That system, called Envision™, is a collaboration between ISI in Washington. D.C., and the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
To Learn More:
To read the complete article by Beth Buczynski, click on Could a LEED for Roads Spur Greener Infrastructure?