Just as the Cuyahoga River and the Ohio and Erie Canal originally provided a connection between settlements along their banks and later between Greater Cleveland and the rest of the world, so too should the Cuyahoga Valley knit neighborhoods and communities together. The Valley can bridge the gap between east and west and between the industrial north and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the south through water access, improved pedestrian and vehicular infrastructure, preservation of viewsheds, and the creation of mixed-use neighborhoods that place a priority on access, housing, cultural, and income diversity, and home/work relationships.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, businesses along the Cuyahoga River were a part of the country's manufacturing revolution. Now, it is time for a new revolution in manufacturing to take place in the Valley--a revolution where advanced technologies, ecological design principles, and sustainable business practices create goods and services in a manner that respects the environment and enhances the natural gifts of the Valley.

While the Valley will never revert back to its original natural condition before development took place, it is still possible to support biodiversity, shape the built environment, and re-establish natural systems in such a way that prevents further degradation of the watershed, waterways, and slopes that characterize the Valley and enhances the Valley's ecology. The natural systems of the Valley should influence how buildings and infrastructure are restored, designed and constructed using ecological design and green building practices.

The settlement and development of the Cuyahoga Valley has important cultural significance for the region and the nation as evidenced by the National Heritage Corridor designation, the River's designation as an American Heritage River, and by the National Scenic Byway's and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's establishment. However, unlike many other historically significant sites, the Cuyahoga Valley should continue to function in the same way it has for more than 150 years as an economically and technologically significant part of the world. To pay homage to the history of the Valley and provide access to its cultural treasures, we must complete important transportation modes (such as the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail), elevate the underappreciated historical sites, preserve viewsheds, use design standards, and encourage ecologically sensitive development and business practices.

Because realizing the full potential of the Cuyahoga Valley requires an integrative process, the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission convened numerous conversations among many individuals representing a wide range of expertise, interests and communities. Through Organizing Ideas, new communities of interest are being created.