Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure launches sustainable infrastructure rating system

by Shane Henson — August 10, 2012—The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), in collaboration with the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, recently unveiled a new infrastructure sustainability rating system called Envision.

According to both entities, Envision provides a holistic framework for evaluating and rating the community, environmental, and economic benefits of all types and sizes of infrastructure projects. The system can help users:

  • Meet sustainability goals;
  • Be publicly recognized for high levels of achievement in sustainability;
  • Help communities and project teams to collaborate and discuss whether they are doing the right project and doing it right;
  • Make decisions about the investment of scarce resources; and
  • Include community priorities in civil infrastructure projects.

The system is suitable for use by infrastructure owners, design teams, community groups, environmental organizations, constructors, regulators, and policy makers.