“This program, like others, does have an element associated with public recognition,” explains Bertera. The Envision^™ Stage 2 Rating Tool is made up of 60 credits divided into five sections: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Risk.

“If a developer, designer, planner, civil infrastructure owner, municipality, etc. wishes to apply for public third-party recognition for their project, there is an application process in which they can submit the project for review and verification,” says Bertera.

“However, our goal is not simply to pass out awards for projects that are sustainable, but rather to create incentives for infrastructure owners to continuously improve their infrastructure and make it more sustainable as time evolves.”

Envision^™ is currently available for use in the public domain, for free, and it continues to evolve.

“We expect this tool to change considerably as society’s concept of what constitutes sustainability changes,” concludes Bertera. “Envision^™ is meant to be a fluid system.”