Blogs

Green Infrastructure: Asset Management’s Sustainability Solution

By Jared Shilhanek posted 5 days ago
Be the first person to recommend this.
Infrastructure creates around 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and accounts for approximately half of all the resources used and waste created on the planet. That is alarming enough, but between 60% and 70% of the infrastructure planned by 2050 has not been built yet. This context, according to Dr Jacqueline Balston, places a big responsibility on asset managers, architects, and engineers to make a major contribution to sustainability, and help limit the impact of climate change in future infrastructure. Balston, who is IPWEA’s Director of Sustainability, told the IPWC 2025 conference that the infrastructure sector had an “enormous responsibility” ...

Warsaw Green Building Standard Development

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 27-03-2025
Be the first person to recommend this.
Warsaw is the first Polish Municipality to create this green building design standard for the development of public buildings. Encompassing blue green design concepts, water conservation and retention, energy efficiency and circular economy design features, some of which are mandatory and others only if applicable. This is a great resource! Public building investors and developers will have to comply with this design standard commencing mid 2025. Here is the link to the Warsaw Green Building Standard in English on the website: https://eko.um.warszawa.pl/documents/63448/113528428/WGBS_10.03.2025_en_final+1.pdf/0dac5f96-4429-a4c7-310d-920393ae1ef1?t= ...

Podcast #3: Kirsti interviews IFME Vice President Priyani de Silva-Currie

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 04-11-2024
Be the first person to recommend this.
Learning From our Past to Create Better Communities Kirsti Kierulf, our podcast host from NKF Norway, interviews IFME Vice President Priyani de Silva-Currie from Beca and Āpōpō NZ. In this honest discussion they discuss what New Zealand and Norway can learn from each other and how infrastructure decisions are made in each country. Click on the link here: https://www.ifmeworld.org/viewdocument/podcast-3-kirsti-interviews-priya Priyani describes the role that indigenous culture plays in blue green and grey infrastructure decisions and how we can learn from our generations past to make better decisions for our communities. Priyani reflects ...

IFME Podcast #2 - Sponge Cities with Liam Foster from New Zealand

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 04-11-2024
Be the first person to recommend this.
This is podcast #2 in the 2024 IFME-series, Meet a Municipal Engineer, hosted by Norway NKF’s Kirsti Kierulf. Click on Link here: https://www.ifmeworld.org/viewdocument/ifme-podcast-2-liam-foster This episode is about Sponge Cities, with Kirsti interviewing Liam Foster, Chartered Water and Environmental Manager at WSP New Zealand. https://www.ifmeworld.org/viewdocument/ifme-podcast-2-liam-foster In this podcast you can listen to our conversation about why there is a term Sponge-City and how WSP have implemented this in Brisbane. We do hope you get inspired to look for sponge-opportunities in projects you are working with as a municipal ...

Building the Future Green City: A New Collaboration Between IFME and World Urban Parks 🌍

By Scott Grayson posted 11-10-2024
1 person recommends this.
Building the Future Green City: A New Collaboration Between IFME and World Urban Parks 🌍 We are pleased to announce the Utrecht Commitment , jointly agreed upon by the IFME International Federation of Municipal Engineering and World Urban Parks (WUP), during the Future Green City World Congress 2024 in #Utrecht, The Netherlands. This collaboration, borne out of our joint hosting of the congress, underscores the vital role municipal engineers and public works professionals, and urban parks managers and practitioners, play in shaping cities that are sustainable, resilient, biodiverse and vibrant. We recognise that tackling today’s urban challenges ...

Sustainability: “Everything in perfect working order” An engineer’s journey through environmental science, anthropology and back!

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 31-07-2024
1 person recommends this.
John Milne, a member of the APWA Sustainability and Resiliency Committee, shares his journey through engineering, environmental science, and anthropology to develop back-to-basics sustainability strategies. His approach focuses on creating thermodynamic order in resource management by mimicking natural processes, moving away from engineered stormwater facilities to watershed-based methods. This holistic method combines physics with human and sociological inputs. He stresses the importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge in sustainability initiatives. These practices offer deep understanding of local environments, though their effectiveness varies. Anthropology's ...

Welcome to Our First IFME Podcast - Innovative Energy Solutions in Norway

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 28-06-2024
Be the first person to recommend this.
Welcome to our first IFME Podcast hosted by Kirsti Kierulf . In this podcast we bring you great insights into a new school project utilising innovative energy solutions for energy efficiency in design and usage. You will meet Morten Marøy , who is the project leader in Trondheim Kommune, Norway’s third largest city. Click on the link to view the video/podcast to the video library on the IFME website at: https://www.ifmeworld.org/viewdocument/ifme-podcast-energy-smart-rebuild Morten will share his insights into how a joint energy system for Nidarvoll and Sunnland schools was developed, rebuilding an old school into a new school with innovative ...

IFME meets PZiTB in Poland

By Scott Grayson posted 22-06-2024
Be the first person to recommend this.
IFME meets PZiTB in Poland In June 2024, Pieter Wiekeraad, Treasurer of IFME, joined the conference of Deans of civil engineering and building faculties in Polanczyk, Poland. Also, Board Members of PZiTB, the Polish Association on Civil Engineering, were present. Pieter also met Mr. Andrzej Drewiecki, an individual member from Poland and liaison to the Polish Association. Andrzej joined us in San Diego at the PWX2023 of APWA and is an IFME friend and contact. Andrzej is very determined to get Poland involved in IFME and the international network of civil engineers. Together, we prepared a roadmap to welcoming the Polish Association PZiTB as a member ...

International Women in Engineering Day 2024!

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 22-06-2024
1 person recommends this.
International Women in Engineering Day celebrates the talent of all women in engineering fields International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) provides a clear call to women to shape the world. This years’ theme is ENHANCED BY ENGINEERING! International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is celebrated annually on June 23rd to honour the outstanding achievements of women engineers and to encourage more girls and women to pursue careers in engineering. The day highlights the contributions of women to the engineering field and promotes gender diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Engineering shapes the world ...

May 2024 Update From Sanne - Connecting People and Sharing Knowledge Worldwide

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 30-04-2024
1 person recommends this.
Connecting People and Sharing Knowledge Worldwide It has been really good to come together ‘down under’ in Melbourne Australia at the IFME Congress. I am happy to share a few key points from our in person Board Meeting this week: · IFME Awards – each country to please submit two (2) award nominations before the end of May 2024. · VP Election – the process for the election of Vice President was discussed. A voting portal link will be sent by Chris Champion (IFME Secretary General). · Committee Reports – verbal reports were received from the three sub committees, Technical, Marketing & Communications ...

Today is World Asset Management Day!

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 15-04-2024
Be the first person to recommend this.
Today is world asset management day - a date to celebrate all the amazing professionals that work within our asset management & public works field and for communities around the world. New Zealand is the first country in the world to see the sunrise off the east coast of Gisborne, so sharing this lovely asset management story with you all! https://apopo.co.nz/celebrating-world-asset-management-day/

Intergenerational Equity Considerations in New Zealand

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 08-04-2024
1 person recommends this.
Intergenerational equity focuses on ensuring that we, as the current generation, act as caretakers for the planet, "borrowing" it from future generations with a commitment to maintaining its health and resources. Intergenerational equity is also about ensuring human wellbeing, where future populations are free and able to continue to observe cultural practices and sustain their livelihoods. Achieving intragenerational equity requires us to think about the decisions we are making today and how that may impact on future generations. The three principles of intergenerational equity are: · Options : Ensuring future generations ...

Welcome to the Future Green City World Congress!

By Scott Grayson posted 06-02-2024
1 person recommends this.
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE GREEN CITY WORLD CONGRESS! From 23 until 26 September 2024, over four days, more than 3000 experts from around the world will share their passion and knowledge about the liveable green city with a future here. The Future Green City World Congress is an initiative of the Royal Association Stadswerk the Netherlands and the Royal Dutch Society for Garden Designers and Landscapers (VHG) In Utrecht, they bring together the worlds of green and civil engineering, in cooperation with World Urban Parks (WUP) and the International Federation of Municipal Engineering (IFME). The congress connects construction, greenery, infra and water. By ...

IFME Awards for Excellence - Nominations Now Open

By Scott Grayson posted 01-02-2024
1 person recommends this.
Nominations are now invited from IFME member associations All IFME member associations are invited to nominate two projects for the 2024 IFME Excellence Awards. The Awards will be presented at the 21st IFME ‘Future Green City’ World Congress in Utrecht, The Netherlands, on 25 September 2024. This is a joint Congress with World Urban Parks in association with Stadswerk. The IFME Awards have been established to recognise projects that deliver outstanding community outcomes, improved service standards and positive impacts for society. Award Categories: A. Construction Project B. Development Project (non-Construction) There is a limit of one entry per ...

Top 5 Trending Technologies get the nod for 2024

By Scott Grayson posted 30-01-2024
1 person recommends this.
Every year since 2018, APWA holds an annual contest to determine the Top Trending Technologies in Public Works for the upcoming year. APWA’s Technical Committees, Standing Committees, and the Council of Chapters all give input and suggestions with the top 16 technologies ultimately selected. Then the voting begins. Technologies battle it out until the ultimate victors are chosen. After two rounds and 4,590 total votes across 915 bracket entries, the winners for 2024 are: Artificial Intelligence—Condition Assessment Data Collection AI in condition assessment data collection automates and optimizes the gathering of infrastructure asset condition data. Leveraging ...

IFME Marketing and Communications 2023 Summary

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 13-12-2023
1 person recommends this.
Your Marketing and Communications Sub-Committee have been very industrious throughout 2023. Here's what Sanne Hieltjes, Jan Nilsson, Pieter & Rolinda Wiekeraad and Priyani de Silva-Currie have been up to with support from IFME Secretary General Chris Champion! The Marketing and Communication Committee had a number of tasks to achieve this year: A new brand development and launch Developing and delivering an IFME Thought Leadership Series Coordinating and presenting at member association conferences Preparing a marketing plan and communication strategy Publishing technical and social thought pieces from IFME member countries ...

End of Year Greetings from IFME President, Sanne Hieltjes

By Sanne Hieltjes posted 10-12-2023
1 person recommends this.
Dear IFME Members, As we are coming to a close of this year, it gives me great pleasure to reflect on our collective achievements and milestones. Our members, who come from diverse backgrounds and have a wide range of expertise, have come together to share knowledge, foster innovation, and tackle the evolving challenges municipalities face worldwide. We had two successful board meetings in Birmingham and San Diego, with many of our members travelling around the globe. The IFME’s world congress in San Diego was a great success and APWA's best-visited conference ever, if I remember correctly. Furthermore, several IFME webinars (in collaboration with ...

Extended deadline for your abstract - Future Green City

By Scott Grayson posted 09-12-2023
Be the first person to recommend this.
Take advantage of the opportunity to showcase your expertise and experience at the IFME International Federation of Municipal Engineering and World Urban Parks Future Green City World Congress in The Netherlands in September 2024! The deadline to submit your proposal may have passed, but we've extended it to January 31, 2024, due to popular demand. With solid proposals already received, take the time to develop your ideas and submit your proposal to contribute to this exciting event. Check out the website for more information, consider which program line best fits your contribution, choose the format that suits you, and submit ...

Ontario could save $1.1B a year if it adapts public infrastructure for climate change

By Scott Grayson posted 23-11-2023
Be the first person to recommend this.
Ontario could save $1.1B a year if it adapts public infrastructure for climate change Report estimates climate hazards could add $4.1B each year if governments don't adapt The dangers of a changing climate could add more than $4 billion per year to the cost of maintaining Ontario's public infrastructure over the rest of the century, the province's financial watchdog said Wednesday. But the report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario said the province and municipalities can cut those costs by proactively making hospitals, schools, stormwater pipes and other public infrastructure more resilient to extreme heat and rainfall. The ...

New Zealand Asset Management Guidance for Indigenous Communities - The Āpōpō Guide

By Priyani de Silva-Currie posted 31-10-2023
1 person recommends this.
Guiding the way in asset management, Āpōpō takes delight in presenting to all international communities the newly developed Āpōpō Guide. Āpōpō (Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Incorporated) is a founding member of IFME and the leading professional association for infrastructure asset management in New Zealand. The Āpōpō Guide is designed for those practicing infrastructure asset management in Aotearoa and is a comprehensive online resource that goes beyond traditional asset management by weaving Te Reo Māori (the Māori world view) into the core of managing both built and natural environments. A first of its kind, this guide is a ...