Resilience Is the New Baseline for Urban Infrastructure

Resilience used to be an elective in city planning. Today, it’s non-negotiable — and Suha Atiyeh has been building to that higher standard for years.

Her Washington DC projects read like a masterclass in future-proofing: Wheeler Road now handles 100-year storms with room to spare, MLK Jr. Avenue absorbs flash flooding while staying pedestrian-friendly, and St. Elizabeths Campus uses layered green infrastructure to protect both historic buildings and downstream neighborhoods. Each site combines bioswales, permeable surfaces, and enhanced tree pits into systems that slow, clean, and infiltrate stormwater before it ever reaches aging pipes.

In the UAE, resilience meant designing for the opposite extreme — sudden desert downpours on impermeable soil. Her contributions to Masdar City and regional flood studies introduced retention basins and precision grading that protect lives and property in a landscape that can go from bone-dry to catastrophic flood in minutes.

With dual U.S.-UK licensure and three major sustainability certifications, Atiyeh moves effortlessly between regulatory worlds while holding every project to the same resilience benchmark. As ICE Mid-Atlantic South Representative, Suha Atiyeh advocates for codes and budgets that treat resilience as the minimum, not the aspiration.

Cities that ignore this shift will keep paying the price. Cities that follow her lead will thrive through whatever the climate throws next.

The Engineering Future Requires Ethical Technical Leadership

Civil engineering is entering a more complex era—climate volatility, rapid urbanization, infrastructure aging curves, and environmental risk convergence. Suha Atiyeh reflects what a next generation engineering leader must embody: strong technical command, sustainable systems thinking, and ethical responsibility. She is licensed as a Professional Engineer in Washington DC and Virginia and is a Chartered Engineer in the UK—an alignment that reinforces her bi-jurisdictional rigor and consistency.

Her Clemson University engineering foundation—with emphasis in hydrology and environmental systems—shaped her lifetime alignment to design that both protects communities and protects ecosystems. Early roles in globally ranked consulting firms reinforced multi-disciplinary collaboration, integrated systems thinking, and high-stakes infrastructure delivery.

In Washington DC, her work on Wheeler Road, MLK Jr. Avenue, St. Elizabeths Campus, and Kenilworth Courts showcases how stormwater innovation and green features can coexist with improved connectivity and community benefit. Flood reduction, mobility, green corridors, and livability—not one of these goals has to come at the expense of the other.

Internationally, her work in the UAE—especially advancing sustainability on Masdar City and regional flood mitigation—reinforces that ethical engineering leadership is borderless. Sustainable methodology must scale globally—not remain locally locked.

Her certifications (LEED AP, Envision Sustainability Professional, Estidama Pearl Qualified Professional) reinforce her technical credibility within the global sustainability arena.

As the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Representative for the US Mid-Atlantic South Region, she shapes the values of future engineers—advocating for purpose-driven, sustainability-aligned, ethics-anchored practice.

Technical precision is essential. Ethics is non-optional. Sustainable performance is mandatory. For tomorrow’s engineers—this is the standard, not the aspiration.

Suha Atiyeh: Building Cities That Balance Progress and Sustainability

Engineering for People and Planet

The best cities serve both residents and the environment, and Suha Atiyeh is proving how that balance can be achieved. As a licensed engineer in Washington DC, Virginia, and the UK, her projects exemplify how urban growth and environmental responsibility can coexist.

A Solid Educational Foundation

Atiyeh began her journey at Clemson University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Her studies in structural systems, hydrology, and environmental engineering gave her the technical foundation to tackle real-world urban challenges.

 

Transforming Washington DC

Atiyeh’s work in the nation’s capital includes the Wheeler Road redevelopment, where she improved transportation flow while integrating eco-friendly stormwater management. On MLK Jr. Avenue, she balanced community mobility with sustainable design. At St. Elizabeths and Kenilworth Courts, she implemented permeable pavements, bioswales, and rain gardens—measures that reduce flooding and restore ecological balance.

Global Achievements in the UAE

Her international contributions are equally groundbreaking. In the UAE, she played a central role in Masdar City, a model for carbon-neutral development. She also spearheaded stormwater mitigation and water-quality assessments in the region, adapting her expertise to a vastly different climate and cultural setting.

Certifications That Drive Change

With accreditations including LEED AP, Envision Sustainability Professional, and Estidama Pearl Qualified Professional, Atiyeh ensures that her projects consistently exceed sustainability benchmarks. These credentials enable her to turn ambitious green goals into practical realities.

A Visionary Leader in Engineering

In her role as ICE Representative for the US Mid-Atlantic South Region, Atiyeh advocates for sustainable practices, educates peers, and mentors new engineers. Her leadership ensures that progress in civil engineering is matched by responsibility to the environment.

Through her projects and professional leadership, Suha Atiyeh is proving that sustainable progress is not only possible—it’s essential for the future of cities.

Suha Atiyeh: Advancing Smart City Infrastructure

Suha Atiyeh and the Future of Urban Living

Smart cities represent the pinnacle of modern urban development, and SuhaAtiyeh is a key player in this evolution. As a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Washington DC and Virginia, and a Chartered Engineer (CEng MICE) in the UK, she combines civil engineering expertise with a vision for technology-driven, sustainable infrastructure. Her work is shaping cities that are intelligent, resilient, and environmentally conscious.

Masdar City: A Smart City Blueprint

Suha Atiyeh’s involvement in Masdar City in the UAE stands out as a flagship project in smart city development. This initiative aims to create a fully sustainable urban environment, and Suha contributed by designing its sitewide infrastructure. She integrated renewable energy systems, advanced water management, and efficient transportation networks, laying the groundwork for a city that leverages technology to enhance livability.

Technology in Infrastructure Design

Suha’s approach to smart cities goes beyond traditional engineering. She incorporates cutting-edge technologies, such as IoT sensors, to monitor infrastructure performance in real time. This data-driven strategy enables proactive maintenance and resource optimization, ensuring that urban systems remain efficient and adaptable. Her work sets a standard for how technology can enhance civil engineering outcomes.

Sustainability at the Core

Certified as a LEED AP, Envision Sustainability Professional, and Estidama Pearl Qualified Professional, Suha Atiyeh ensures that her smart city projects prioritize sustainability. Her designs minimize environmental impact while maximizing efficiency, aligning with global goals for reducing carbon emissions and conserving resources. This balance is evident in her stormwater management solutions and green infrastructure initiatives.

Contributions Beyond the UAE

While Masdar City is a highlight, Suha’s influence extends to other regions. In Washington DC, she has applied smart city principles to projects like the Wheeler Road redevelopment and St. Elizabeths upgrades. By integrating sustainable technologies, she enhances urban resilience and prepares these areas for future growth, demonstrating her versatility across different scales and contexts.

Leadership and Global Perspective

As the ICE Representative for the US Mid-Atlantic South Region, Suha Atiyeh collaborates with global partners to advance smart city initiatives. Her international experience, coupled with her education from Clemson University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, gives her a unique perspective that enriches her projects and leadership.

A Vision for Tomorrow’s Cities

Suha envisions cities that are not just smart but also sustainable and inclusive. Her work bridges the gap between technological innovation and environmental responsibility, creating urban spaces that meet the needs of residents while preserving the planet. Her forward-thinking approach positions her as a leader in the global smart city movement.

Suha Atiyeh’s contributions to smart city infrastructure are redefining urban development. Through projects like Masdar City and her work in Washington DC, she demonstrates how engineering can harness technology and sustainability to build better cities. Her leadership and vision ensure that the future of urban living is both intelligent and green.

Meet Suha Atiyeh: The Civil Engineer Driving Innovation in Infrastructure Development

Suha Atiyeh’s name is synonymous with excellence in civil engineering. Licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the US and a Chartered Engineer (CEng MICE) in the UK, she has played an integral role in the development of transformative infrastructure projects.

Her career began in the private sector, where she worked with top engineering consulting firms before transitioning to the public sector, where she has since led multi-million-dollar infrastructure programs. Suha Atiyeh’s ability to manage complex, multi-disciplinary projects has made her a highly sought-after leader in the field.

She has been at the forefront of critical infrastructure projects, including the design and implementation of green infrastructure in Washington DC, stormwater management solutions, and major transportation projects along MLK Jr. Avenue, and Wheeler Road.

On an international level, her contributions extend to the UAE, where she has successfully overseen key projects such as Masdar City’s infrastructure planning, stormwater mitigation efforts, and drinking water management programs.

As a sustainability leader, Suha holds LEED AP and Envision Sustainability Professional certifications, ensuring that her projects prioritize environmental responsibility while delivering cost-effective solutions.

She currently serves as the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Representative for the US Mid-Atlantic South Region, where she continues to advocate for engineering excellence.

Suha holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Clemson University, where she laid the foundation for her distinguished career.

Suha Atiyeh Can Build Anything and Make it Green, Too

Suha Atiyeh is capable of evaluating projects during the study phase, as well as every subsequent stage of project completion. She has plenty of knowledge and skill on sustainability issues, which means she also has the ability to “green up” virtually any project. Besides her strong civil engineering background, Suha also has a certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards and she has also certified as an Envision Sustainability Professional and as a Estidama Pearl Qualified Professional.

As she leads every project to completion, Suha Atiyeh is more than capable of conducting a thorough analysis of every stage of the project. She has a lot she can point to in her portfolio, and she played a leadership role in many of them. The include the Fort Reno Elevated Tank in Washington DC, the Potomac Interceptor Sewer System in Virginia and the Oily Water Sewer Modeling Project in Washington State. Among her most important projects internationally included several projects in the UAE, including Stormwater Flood Mitigation Measures, a Drinking Water Audit, the Masdar City Sitewide Infrastructure, the Golden Beach Resort and other projects in the western region of that country.

The Skills of Suha Atiyeh Lead to Many Project Completions

Suha Atiyeh has shown expertise in a great many areas surrounding civil engineering and related disciplines. For example, Suha is able to specialize in areas such as hydrology, hydraulics, stormwater, drainage, sanitary sewer systems, and drinking water, as well as grading and earthworks. Since Suha Atiyeh graduated from the prestigious Clemson University in South Carolina, with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a minor in Sociology, she has shown herself more than able to work on a large number of civil engineering and project management services. Her work has covered a number of great projects in a number of spaces, including municipal projects, infrastructure projects designed to add value to a community and land development projects. In addition to those, she has also played a key role in many other projects in many varied residential, commercial, educational and mixed-use developments.

Suha Atiyeh’s high level of skill and knowledge comes out of her extensive experience. In addition to working in many different areas, she also has worked on projects at every step of the process, from the initial landing stages, including the design and concept and everything else, up to and including product completion.

Besides her practical experience in guiding projects to successful completion, Suha Atiyeh is also capable of evaluating projects during the study phase. She is capable of doing a thorough analysis of every stage of the project. Among the most prominent U.S. projects in her portfolio, for which she played a leadership role, include Fort Reno Elevated Tank in Washington DC, the Potomac Interceptor Sewer System in Virginia and the Oily Water Sewer Modeling. Project in Washington State. Among her most important projects internationally included several projects in the UAE, including Stormwater Flood Mitigation Measures, the Golden Beach Resort and other projects in the western region of the country.