The principles of sustainability ask designers to consider the three E’s – Environment, Equity, and Economics. This presentation focuses on how public works professionals can evaluate program choices considering comprehensive life-cycle costs to best serve their communities. Too often, sustainable approaches are not pursued due to a misconception that these features are “cost plus” nice-to-haves. The discussion is, “I’d like to do more and know it’s the right thing to do, but I don’t have the budget….” Decisions are made to pursue compliance minimums, while a better thought-out, high-performance approach, would provide a better long-term solution. The manufacturing, retail, and construction industries have learned this lesson and actively incorporate sustainable practices to gain market advantage. Google, Walmart, and the US Navy all embrace smarter, more resilient investments. They have learned that sustainability spurs innovation, creates consumer trust and brand loyalty, improves employee attraction and retention, and reduces cost. This session will use local government case studies to show how to apply design tools to evaluate more sustainable solutions and conduct comprehensive life-cycle economic analysis. “How-to” tips will be provided on tools like Envision, LEED, and other practical applications. Lessons learned will be shared on how to effectively engage staff, the community, and elected officials to inform and educate them on sustainability.

Proficiency Level

Applied

Learning Objectives
  1. Analyze and communicate the benefits of sustainability that accrue to a community considering improved equity, environment, and with a focus on the financials
  2. Educate governing bodies and advocate for higher performance, more resilient practices and policies based on evidence-based research and data
  3. Utilize economic tools to analyze innovative approaches to deliver public works projects in a manner that serves the community in a more sustainable way

Contributor/Source

Steph Larocque;James Patteson

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