Sustainable Infrastructure

Sustainable infrastructure is public works designed, built, and operated to meet present needs while limiting environmental harm and lasting as long as possible. It covers energy use, materials, water, waste, and the way projects fit into the communities around them. Governments at every level set standards and fund projects, and large public landholders, including the military, pursue their own sustainability goals.

People usually ask what makes infrastructure sustainable, how governments measure it, and how it is paid for. They also ask how sustainability goals affect roads, buildings, and bike lanes, how costs are weighed against long-term benefits, and who sets and enforces the standards that projects must meet.