The Urban Design Project assisted Chautauqua County government in a series of interrelated efforts intended to connect robust citizen participation, performance based government, inter-municipal cooperation, and countywide strategic planning in an integrated program of governance reform and community development.

These efforts included the program for government reform outlined by the transition team of County Executive; the passage of a County charter amendment for “performance-based governance” and development of the Comprehensive Performance Partnership; and the Chautauqua County Community Summit Series, starting in November 1999, continuing in June 2000, and local community summits, interest group meetings, and Local Waterfront Revitalization planning sessions.

The aim of these efforts is nothing less than a transformation of the culture of agencies of government, community based organizations, and Chautauqua County overall, as well as a more efficient and effective address to the publicly-identified priorities of economic development, environmental stewardship, human development, and government reform.