Draft #1 Summary_Reader Response: Developing Sustainable Infrastructures In New Cities

In the article “Developing Sustainable Infrastructure in New Cities”, Cho (2014), explained how the guidelines of the Envision Sustainability Rating System can improve the sustainability of infrastructures in urban cities that faces rapid growth. Given the rising importance of developing sustainable infrastructure due to urban challenges such as floods and climate changes, the rating system was introduced to evaluate new developments. Cho then further elaborated her aim to provide an envision evaluation on a planned project in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) where it is strategically located in an area that will potentially boost the economy and provide residences by 2020. Expecting a high growth rate, the city is advised to implement a potent strategy for sustainable development. The Rating System allowed for sustainable infrastructures like “Nuevo Necaxa-Avila Camacho Highway” in Mexico and “Highways Vias Nuevas De Lima” to achieve the “Infrastructure 360” award. Cho hopes that progressing towards a sustainable future will influence the on-going investment strategies for KAEC and other cities globally.

While the author provided concrete examples and gave a gist of what the Envision Rating System is about, she did not mention how the system works, the benefits and the ultimate objective.

To start off, the Rating System is a useful tool to evaluate projects using various aspects which include social, economic and environmental benefits. The five main categories used for rating are quality of life, leadership, resource allocation, natural world, and climate and risk. Each category has a credit list with different evaluation criteria. The points are then awarded based on the project’s performance and will be submitted to receive their respective awards. In short, the rating system allows organizations or stakeholders to view their project in a different light where it is more focused on the sustainability of the infrastructure in the long run.

The tool brings about many benefits not only to the organization but to the environment as well. According to professional engineer Shilpa Shivakumar (2014), Envision provides an objective scheme to help raise awareness, rate and fulfill the client’s requirements for project sustainability. It guides stakeholders to draft their solutions after it has been rated and to emphasize the importance of incorporating sustainable techniques. In addition, an article written by Reeder (2010) states that the rating system allows design teams and constructors to communicate to set common sustainable priorities while providing a way for stakeholders to assess performance.

Lastly, by adopting a more comprehensive approach that increases sustainability while minimizing long-term climate change, Envision hopes to provide alternatives on how infrastructures can be designed. The rating system is more than just a tool. It is created to transit business-like thinking into revoluntionary solutions and widening the familiarity of sustainability. It can be used as a reference guide for future projects too, focusing on the environmental, social and economic impact.

Heidi, C. (Dec 17, 2014) Developing Sustainable Infrastructure in New Cities.  Retrieved from https://newcities.org/evaluating-sustainable-infrastructure-development-new-cities/

 References:

Shivakumar, S; Pederson, T; Wilkins, S; Schuster, S. (2014, August 4). Envision: A Measure of Infrastructure Sustainability. Retrieved from https://singaporetech.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=ascelchp10.1061%2F9780784413692.205&context=PC&vid=65SIT_INST:SIT&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Envision%20Rating%20System%20benefits&mode=Basic&pcAvailability=false 

Planning Sustainable Infrastructure Projects with ISI Envision. (2019, March 25). Retrieved from https://www.bv.com/insights/expert-perspectives/planning-sustainable-infrastructure-projects-isi-envision

Georgoulias, A. (2015, Febuary). The Envision Rating System for Sustainable Infrastructure: Development, Applications, and the Potential for Lebanon. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a62a/b52bec6923442f3661055d045ebb78e62ed9.pdf

Caroline M, Clevenger; Mehmet E, Ozbek; Simpson, S. (2013). Retrieved from http://ascpro0.ascweb.org/archives/cd/2013/paper/CPRT88002013.pdf