Thought Leadership

Rockville High School Aquaculture Laboratory

What Today’s Students Are Teaching Us About the Next Generation of K‑12 Facilities

As K-12 education places greater emphasis on applied learning and workforce readiness, the relationship between curriculum and the built environment is becoming increasingly intertwined. Schools are expected to support hands-on instruction, technical training and real-world problem solving – often beginning earlier in a student’s academic journey, with facilities playing an increasingly important role in preparing … Read more

ATL Plane Train Tunnel West Extension Progressive Design-Build

Progressive Design-Build Has Reached the Center of the Industry: Now Comes the Hard Part

Progressive design-build, also known as phased design-build, has moved from the edge of the delivery conversation to its center. That’s a good thing. But it also raises the bar for everyone involved. That’s my clear takeaway from serving on the ACEC Research Institute Steering Committee and discussing this work at both the Design-Build Institute of … Read more

concept of Recovery Park in Baltimore, MD

Beyond Four Walls: What Urban Green Space Can Offer Mental Wellness

During Mental Health Awareness Month, conversations often center on care delivery – programs, providers and services that support individuals facing mental health challenges. Increasingly, however, these conversations are expanding to include the everyday environments people move through and the role those spaces play in shaping daily experience, routine and connection. For landscape architects in particular, … Read more

Before the breakthrough: Inside TBM Assembly on the Hudson Tunnel Project

In major infrastructure projects, progress is often measured by visible milestones – the first bore, the first tunnel segment, the first test train, etc. Yet some of the most consequential work happens before any of that is seen, in phases defined less by motion than by preparation. As a key part of the broader Gateway … Read more

Roadway view of bicyclist, car and train with cityscape background

Maps with Meaning: Applying Geospatial Data Science to Improve Bike-Transit Safety

As communities expand investments in active mobility and public transit, a persistent challenge remains: bike networks and transit systems are often planned as parallel efforts rather than a single, connected experience for riders. Individually, each system may function well, but at their intersections – particularly near transit stations where demand and different modes converge – misalignment can introduce safety risks and create last‑mile gaps that limit access and discourage … Read more

Continuity Throughout Crisis: Operational Insights for Emergency-Ready Infrastructure

When extreme weather events occur, reliable transportation networks play a crucial role in supporting communities and sustaining economic activity. Roads, bridges and transit systems facilitate safe evacuation, the delivery of essential supplies and the restoration of everyday operations. Through our work with state and local agencies, STV has gained first-hand insight into the critical intersection of emergency management and resilience planning. Effective resilience planning must be grounded in real-world operations and informed by those … Read more

Wooden bench on sidewalk path surrounded by greenery

Dispatches from 2050: How Today’s Circularity Pilots Become Tomorrow’s Low-Carbon Cities

In Dispatches from 2050, STV practitioners examine global pilot cities to understand how long-horizon infrastructure decisions unfold over decades and how our communities might follow similar trajectories. Today, the built environment is grappling with rising raw-material costs, increased embodied carbon and a fragile supply chain. Amid these pressures, Singapore offers a look into what’s possible when the industry treats building materials as a strategic local asset rather than a one-time expense. … Read more

Gateway tunnel at 30th street under construction

Beyond the Faultline: Smarter Solutions for Seismic Risk Management

Across the United States, seismic hazards pose challenging questions about where and how infrastructure can fail. With aging bridges, highways and transit systems facing increased seismic forces across nearly 75% of the country, modern engineering approaches must anticipate both expected tremors and rare, high-impact events to protect communities and maintain mobility. At a recent conference, … Read more

STV interns at project site in construction gear.

Building on Momentum: How Our Strategic Plan Positions STV for What’s Next

Over the past several years, STV has been on a meaningful journey of transformation. When we launched our 2023–2025 Strategic Plan, we did so with a clear ambition: to grow the business, reimagine how we work and make intentional investments in our people. Three years later, the results are clear. As we look back on … Read more

Turning Risk into ROI: A New Method for Smarter Resilience Planning

As the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events continues to climb, infrastructure owners are addressing a new financial reality: the cost of disruption is outpacing the cost of prevention. In 2024 alone, 27 separate billion-dollar weather events caused widespread infrastructure damage and service interruptions, adding to a decade-long total of more than $1.4 trillion in losses. Transportation networks, ranging … Read more

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