INSTRUCTOR: Denise Nelson, P.E., CFM, ENV SP, LEED AP, M.ASCE

This course provides support and practical knowledge to infrastructure professionals for “making the case” for sustainable infrastructure development with project owners and developers. The enigma of sustainability and resilience persists along with the false perception of associated costs being high and performance being questionable.  This course describes the advanced, more innovative way to use sustainable thinking when designing infrastructure to be resilient to changing environmental conditions, identifies sustainability best practices in infrastructure development, and provides a defensible rationale for approving and implementing sustainable, resilient communities. 

Sustainability and resilience are already a priority in ASCE's strategic plan.  The society defines sustainability as “a set of economic, environmental, and social conditions (aka "The Triple Bottom Line") in which all of society has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely without degrading the quantity, quality or the availability of economic, environmental and social resources.”  They further define sustainable development as “the application of these resources to enhance the safety, welfare, and quality of life for all of society.”  ASCE offers many resources and recommendations for implementing sustainable infrastructure practices, but this is the first comprehensive effort to address “making the case” for sustainable infrastructure.

The knowledge gained throughout this course will enable participants to secure support for sustainable thinking and resilient infrastructure.  Engineers and their counterparts in infrastructure development will understand the impetus for changing our approach and be able to recommend climate - safe, context-specific solutions based on the type, scale, and location of projects to properly address local or regional needs.

View the course outline and learn more about how these courses work.