Approved by the Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee on March 13, 2025
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on March 28, 2025
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 10, 2025
Policy
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports sustainable, equitable growth, and development incorporating:
- Appropriate urban scale, function, and form.
- Diversity of land use.
- A balance between the interests of the individual, the community, and the region.
- The natural and built environments.
- Infrastructure built concurrent with the development it supports.
Community planning should hold paramount the public health, safety and welfare, and balance community concerns, private initiatives, and local, and regional planning objectives. Minimizing displacement and other negative impacts on historical community activities and culture are important considerations that should inform growth and development decisions.
Issue
Community development can be inconsistent with the principles of sustainable development and resilience. Adhering to the principles of sustainable development as defined by ASCE and by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision™ rating system can reduce adverse social, economic, and environmental impacts.
Rationale
The civil engineer's role is to plan, design, and implement the built environment in service to society and in conformance with the principles of sustainable and resilient development, as well as justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Civil engineers provide leadership in the creation and execution of vital development and redevelopment plans to support populations in a sustainable and equitable manner.
This policy has worldwide application
ASCE Policy Statement 131
First Approved pre-1974