Cuyahoga Valley Initiative: A Model of Regeneration

The report proposes a comprehensive regeneration strategy for the Cuyahoga River Valley, centering on a 'Regenerative Development Zone' to pilot sustainable business and ecological practices. Key recommendations include implementing industrial symbiosis to redefine waste as a resource, restoring watercourses through 'daylighting' buried streams, adopting green building standards, and diversifying the energy mix with renewables and cogeneration. The authors argue that a whole-system approach—integrating water, energy, and industrial processes—will create synergistic economic and environmental value, transforming the region into a global model for industrial brownfield restoration.

• The authors propose the creation of a 'Regenerative Development Zone' to serve as a laboratory for sustainable business practices and ecological restoration. This zone would implement creative codes and incentives to test resource sharing between industries, demonstrate clean energy, and restore natural vegetation and watercourses.
• Industrial Symbiosis is recommended as a way to increase wealth within the existing industrial mix by redefining waste and by-products as inputs for other operations. This collaborative approach involves the physical exchange of materials, energy, and by-products between traditionally separate industries.
• To restore the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries, the report suggests 'daylighting' buried streams—returning them to the surface—and installing permeable bulkheads. These measures aim to reestablish the natural biological capacity of watercourses to repair themselves and reduce sedimentation.
• The report advocates for 'Green Buildings' that integrate resource efficiency, environmental sensitivity, and human well-being. Such buildings are described as more profitable for investors and more affordable for occupants than conventional designs due to reduced operating costs and increased real estate value.
• A 'water-energy nexus' approach is proposed to reduce the costs of pumping, treating, and distributing water. By using water-efficient technologies and incentives, the community can reduce total energy demand, which the authors estimate could save enough energy to power 2,100 homes annually if water consumption were reduced by 10%.
• The report recommends an Energy Investment Strategy focusing on distributed resources, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. This includes the development of an Energy Cogeneration Network to capture waste heat from industrial facilities, which would increase grid resiliency and lower consumer costs.
• Waste-to-energy opportunities are identified in methane-gas capture at landfills and the gasification of industrial, medical, and municipal wastes. Specifically, the Glenwillow Sanitary Landfill and Royalton Road Landfill are highlighted as having significant potential for methane capture.
• Wind power is proposed as a viable renewable energy source, particularly in offshore areas of Lake Erie and along the lake's edge, where prices could be competitive with fossil fuel plants. This could also stimulate the local manufacturing industry to transition toward producing wind power components.
• The authors argue that the regeneration process should be led by a nonprofit organization governed by a diverse board of 'elders'—thoughtful representatives from private, public, and nonprofit sectors—rather than the public sector alone.

APA

RMI (n.d.). Cuyahoga Valley Initiative: A Model of Regeneration. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ER04-03_CuyahogaValley.pdf

Chicago

RMI. Cuyahoga Valley Initiative: A Model of Regeneration. n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ER04-03_CuyahogaValley.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Cuyahoga Valley Initiative: A Model of Regeneration |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ER04-03_CuyahogaValley.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmindcuyahoga, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Cuyahoga Valley Initiative: A Model of Regeneration}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ER04-03_CuyahogaValley.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }