APWA announces Sustainability in Public Works track

Kansas City, Mo. — The American Public Works Association (APWA) announced the Sustainability in Public Works track that will be featured at the 2015 APWA International Public Works Congress & Exposition, August 30- September 2, 2015 at the Phoenix Convention Center. As a major component of the APWA 2015 Congress education sessions, the Sustainability in Public Works track will focus on the practice of sustainability that permeates public works discipline and function of delivering services to ensure an appropriate balance between the environment, the community and the economy.

At the APWA Congress, 40 education sessions will focus specifically on Sustainability in Public Works, in which the principles of sustainability are addressed by speakers who discuss maximizing resources, creating lasting and resilient infrastructure, and improving our communities to ensure economic and social viability. The Sustainability track will feature targeted sessions dedicated to educating attendees on the efficient delivery of infrastructure projects in an environmentally and socially responsible way that ensures the best economic choice in the long term.

The APWA International Congress’ Sustainability in Public Works Track will feature:

• Over 40 total education sessions about Environment/ Sustainability Issues
• Sustainability Pavilion on the Exhibit Floor featuring dozens of exhibitors, products, tools
• ISI Envision Roundtable Super Session – Network with Envision® users and discuss applications
• Center for Sustainability Roundtable – Join leaders in discussion on “Maximizing Sustainable ROI”
• Public Works Stormwater Summit – Themed to address sustainability/resiliency
• Workshop/Tours of projects that have sustainability components

“The Sustainability in Public Works Track at this year’s APWA Congress allows more public works professionals to have access to important sustainability issues and solutions, and is reflective of the fact that sustainability traverses all areas of public works — water, roads, transportation, parks, asset management, and emergency management. These sessions, roundtables and activities are presented by a variety of APWA seasoned professionals to reveal the breadth of the role that sustainability plays in our infrastructure,” said APWA Center for Sustainability Chair, Jennifer Winter, P.E., Public Works Director, City of Cedar Rapids, IA.

Roundtable discussion

Local governments need better information to promote decision making that reflects value-for-money comparisons of public investment proposals among various infrastructure projects. Join Center for Sustainability Leaders and others directly involved in creating more sustainable communities in a roundtable exchange and discussion to identify challenges, solutions, and needed resources. Participants will gain better understanding of the process and tools through which non-cash costs and benefits, plus externalities, can be calculated and presented in monetary terms for “apples-to-apples” comparison, referred to as the Sustainable Return on Investment or SROI.

For more information about the Sustainability in Public Works track at the upcoming APWA Congress, visit www.apwa.net/Congress/2015/Attendees/Sustainability.