It consists of the municipalities of Seymour, Derby, Ansonia, and outside the Naugatuck watershed, Shelton, which constitute the Valley Council of Governments.
This industrial past has given the region a heavy urban landscape, with many factory buildings rising prominently along the riverside and dominating the central districts of the towns.
After the Great Depression, however, the area began a prolonged period of deindustrialization and lost large portions of its manufacturing base, leaving behind weak economies and empty buildings typical of Rust Belt landscapes.
The corporation board of directors accepted the challenge of renovation and reuse of the closed and deteriorating one million square foot former Chase Brass mill.
He was given the responsibility of turning the deteriorated property into a new industrial complex with much needed jobs and tax base.
The property was named the Waterbury Industrial Commons and work quickly began on renovations and tenant leasing.
Since the early 1990s, rural and southern portions of the Naugatuck Valley have evolved into sprawling commuter towns.
Despite this suburbanization, however, the region is still tied to its core city centers like Derby and downtown areas of Ansonia and Naugatuck, thus retaining its working-class flavor.
Football shapes many peoples lives in the valley with high school alumni, faculty and students giving a huge fan base which also includes families and town citizens.