Connecting Through Infrastructure: Engineering for All Communities, an op-ed by Clare Haas Claveau

This week marks the 13th annual Infrastructure Week—a timely reminder that infrastructure is far more than roads, pipes, and power lines. While headlines often focus on collapsing overpasses or the daily frustrations of pothole-ridden streets, the deeper truth is far more profound: infrastructure is what connects us. It is the vast, often invisible web designed by engineers that shapes the way we live, work, and thrive.

Infrastructure Connects Us All

We connect through transportation infrastructure—networks of roads, bridges, and transit lines that physically unite our communities. These systems make it possible to access work, education, healthcare, and family. They enable commerce, mobility, and face-to-face interaction, linking people to opportunities and services across town and across the country.

We connect through social infrastructure—public spaces like parks, libraries, and community centers that serve as anchors for civic life. These places foster belonging, spark engagement, and strengthen social bonds. They help us feel rooted, seen, and included.

We connect through utilities—systems that deliver electricity, clean water, and sanitation to our homes and businesses. Though often taken for granted, these essential services form the backbone of public health and economic productivity, allowing us to build communities that are livable, sustainable, and resilient.

We connect through economic infrastructure—the systems that tie together producers, suppliers, and consumers. Infrastructure facilitates trade, generates jobs, and enables prosperity, creating stronger, more integrated local economies.

And in times of crisis, we rely on resilient infrastructure to keep us connected. Emergency response, disaster recovery, and public safety all depend on systems that are designed not just to function under stress—but to adapt and endure.

Our Report Card: Progress and Urgency

The recently released 2025 Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers offers both encouragement and a call to action. The U.S. earned an overall grade of C—the highest in the report's history and a sign that federal investments are beginning to move the needle. But this modest progress must not be mistaken for success. Deep, persistent inequities remain—especially in underserved and overburdened communities across the U.S. and its territories—where access to safe, reliable infrastructure is still far from guaranteed.

Engineering Equity from the Ground Up

At Engineers Without Borders USA, through our Community Engineering Corps (CECorps) program, we see these challenges up close—and we work to address them. Engineering has a powerful, yet often overlooked, role to play in addressing inequities. Through pro bono technical support, our volunteers help ensure that every community—regardless of its ZIP code or socioeconomic status—has the infrastructure it needs to connect and succeed.

Over the past decade, CECoprs has completed 87 projects, improving lives for more than 55,000 people across the United States, its territories, and Tribal lands. These are not abstract achievements. They are tangible examples of what’s possible when engineering expertise is paired with community-driven vision. They prove that ingenuity and compassion can overcome structural barriers—and that equitable infrastructure is not only needed, but entirely within reach.

Investing in Connection, Equity, and Resilience

Our mission is clear: to build foundational infrastructure that supports health, safety, and prosperity for all. That requires more than bricks and mortar. It requires sustained investment in design, implementation, and innovation. It demands inclusive planning processes that honor local knowledge and elevate community voices. And it calls for engineers who are committed not only to technical excellence, but to equity solutions.

As we reflect on our nation’s infrastructure this week, let’s move beyond the headlines. Let’s acknowledge the profound ways in which infrastructure connects and empowers us. And let’s commit to a future in which every American—urban or rural, wealthy or working-class—has access to clean water, safe roads, and resilient public services.

Let’s urge policymakers to make bold, long-term infrastructure investments. Let’s encourage engineering professionals to lend their skills to projects that serve the most vulnerable. And most of all, let’s choose wisely, act boldly, and build a future where all communities are connected—and all have the chance to thrive.