From 2003 to 2006, the
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Cleveland-based
Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S) worked with the
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission (CPC)
to illustrate how to apply principles of sustainability and natural capitalism to transform
a largely industrial part of the Cuyahoga Valley into a place where businesses operate more
efficiently, land is reclaimed, the River is healthier, and a people-friendly urban
environment is created.
The work performed by RMI on behalf of the Cuyahoga County Planning
Commission culminated with its June 2006 report
"Advancing the Regeneration of the Cuyahoga Valley" (PDF, 2.5 MB)
which provides an action plan for the implementation of projects that simultaneously support
environmental restoration and economic development.
Already, CPC has been working with its partners to fulfill aspects
of the action plan. The development of long-term organizational support for the goals of
the Cuyahoga Valley Initiative has begun with the hiring of a coordinator and a organization
design process headed by Currere. E4S is continuing
its work on the Waste=Revenue Roundtable to create a network of industries that trade waste
byproducts as useful resources. And CPC is working with the
Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan to develop
designs for and begin construction of "green bulkheads" which will provide shoreline
stability for navigation along the Cuyahoga River while creating habitat for aquatic
life.
Businesses, non-profits, neighborhoods, citizens, and members of all
levels of government are continuing to work together to make the Cuyahoga Valley a model
for sustainability and regenerative development.
Funding for work conducted by RMI and E4S on the Cuyahoga Valley
Initiative was made possible through the generous support of
The Joyce Foundation,
The Cleveland Foundation, and
The George Gund Foundation, as well as the in-kind
contributions of staff time made by RMI and E4S.
Please explore the "Advancing the Regeneration of the Cuyahoga Valley"
report, as well as the earlier report developed for the CVI,
"Cuyahoga Valley Initiative- A Model of Regeneration"
(PDF, 1.7 MB).
Imagine the possibilities and create our shared future...
