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Reading Viaduct 13th Street

Lardner's Point

Reading Viaduct

Service:
Environmental

We balance the economic, environmental, and social issues with each project to enhance the quality of life for present and future generations. 

Our clients — whether public, private, or industrial — share the same goal. They seek cost-effective solutions that balance the economic, social, and environmental issues of their projects. We meet this goal and aim for projects that enhance the quality of life for present and future generations.

 

We have helped transform blighted properties and aging infrastructure into livable, sustainable community hubs. We have also enabled construction to occur safely and efficiently in locations that were once deemed infeasible for new development or reuse. Our clients include developers; airports; and owners of roads, bridges, and rail, transit, and marine terminals. 

Brownfields

Our knowledge of regulations and remediation issues is augmented by an understanding of the forces driving land development. This allows us to integrate remediation with development — a method that reduces costs and shortens schedules. We also use value engineering and risk-based decision-making to streamline brownfield development projects and turn liabilities into assets.  

Facility Assessment

Facilities can present a complex mix of environmental and occupational safety hazards that must be addressed in line with the latest regulatory requirements. We have resolved environmental issues for projects of all scales — from quick compliance audits to multi-site asbestos abatement work — with minimal costs and impact on business operations.

 

Whether developing customized training programs, evaluating indoor air quality, or identifying cost-effective engineering controls, we bring creative, responsive, and practical solutions to building environmental issues.

From conducting quick compliance audits to writing detailed specifications for multi-site asbestos abatement projects, our consulting staff is experienced and capable of handling projects large or small. We will help you resolve building environmental issues while minimizing costs and impact on normal business operations.

 

We understand the complexities of environmental and occupational safety hazards. Using our knowledge of regulatory requirements, we work closely with clients to evaluate needs and implement cost-effective and timely solutions. Whether it is developing customized training programs, evaluating indoor air quality or developing cost-effective engineering controls, we are committed to providing creative, responsive, and practical solutions to building environmental issues.

 

NEPA and Permitting

Urban offers National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)-related studies for small projects requiring a Categorical Exclusion, as well as for multi-million dollar infrastructure programs that warrant an Environmental Impact Statement. We have participated in more than 135 NEPA-related projects and have delivered environmental permitting assistance to 85 clients in the last 10 years.

 

A list of our services follows:

  • Neighborhood, land use, and socioeconomic impact analysis
  • Secondary and cumulative impact analysis
  • Environmental permitting and compliance
  • Phase I and II environmental site assessments
  • Characterization of hazardous waste/groundwater
  • Water quality studies
  • Natural resource inventories
  • Stormwater management
  • Air/noise assessment
  • Wetland delineation and mitigation

Sustainability

Buildings consume more than 30 percent of the total energy and 60 percent of the electricity generated annually in the United States. Sustainable design and construction of facilities can reduce buildings’ environmental impact, along with operating costs, while increasing worker productivity. It’s also easier to market a building with sustainable features, such as enhanced indoor air quality, natural lighting, and advanced thermal comfort controls. These features not only protect the health of users, but also reduce liability of owners for health issues that can result from poor indoor air quality among other factors.

 

We continuously stay abreast of improvements in the materials, systems, and technologies that drive the sustainable design industry and evaluate these opportunities in new construction and renovation projects.

 

Urban also designs green stormwater infrastructure, which uses infiltration, evaporation, transpiration, decentralized storage, alternative stormwater routing, reuse, and other methods to reduce pollution. These systems also decrease the potential for flooding and help beautify surrounding areas. 

Get in Touch
Vice President, Practice Leader for Environmental
ajwaters@urbanengineers.com 215.922.8081