The University of Hawaii and the local chapter of the American Planning Association want to engage and educate the public on issues surrounding development in Kakaako through a series of free workshops that will double as student coursework.
The workshops, described as “a free urban planning academy for everyone,” will be held on six consecutive Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. starting Oct. 13.
Organizers said the general public will learn about urban-planning ideas and tools that will help make a difference in how Kakaako, a section of Honolulu largely slated for dense high-rise development, evolves.
UH professors and government officials will be among speakers leading the workshops. Students from a UH Department of Urban and Regional Planning course will facilitate small-group discussions.
“It’s project-based learning for the class, and a way to share planning issues with the wider community,” said Annie Koh, a doctorate degree candidate in urban and regional planning at UH.
Anyone interested in or concerned about Kakaako is encouraged to attend.
“We often feel that there is nothing that we can do to change the future of our neighborhood or community,” Karen Umemoto, chairwoman of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, said in a statement announcing the workshops. “We hope the planning academy can bring various interests of this community to see that planning together can make a difference. The new wave of development in Kakaako will have a profound impact on the look and feel of Honolulu given its prime location in the urban core.”
Some areas to be explored include civic engagement, impacts on small businesses, infrastructure, affordable housing and rail system connections. A one-hour trolley tour of Kakaako is also planned.
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning is offering a certificate of completion to anyone who attends four or more of the workshops.
All the workshops will be held in the ground-floor community room at 547 Queen St., the old American Brewery Building, which serves as headquarters of the Hawaii Community Development Authority. HCDA is the state agency with zoning and planning control in Kakaako, and has faced considerable public criticism over some of its planning rules and development permit approvals.
Kakaako workshops
What: Free class on urban planning in Kakaako
When: Six consecutive Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. starting Oct. 13
Where: The ground-floor community room at 547 Queen St., the old American Brewery Building For more information and to register: durp.hawaii.edu; 956-7381
Trolley tours: 9, 10 and 11 a.m. Nov. 21 from Kakaako Agora, 441 Cooke St.
Workshop schedule
Oct. 13: Kakaako Our Kuleana: Planning and Development in Kakaako The planning vision for Kakaako has changed and evolved over the past several decades. How did we get to today? Where are we going tomorrow?
Oct. 20: Something’s Stinky in Kakaako: Infrastructure in the Age of Climate Change From sewer systems to storm drains, let’s lift the manhole covers and peer into the hidden systems that are critical to human and environmental health.
Oct. 27: Affordable Housing in Kakaako: What Would It Take to Build It? One of the biggest fears is the neighborhood will be affordable only for the wealthy. What is currently being done for low- and middle-income residents, and how can we improve upon it?
Nov. 3: Envisioning A Place for Everyone: From the Shoreline to Small Businesses The diversity of Kakaako means a diversity of needs and aspirations. What are the voices and visions for Kakaako, and how can they be realized?
Nov. 10: Leveraging Rail: How Many Ways Can the Community Benefit? Change brings possibilities. What are our priorities and how can we achieve them? How can rail help create parks and affordable housing, support small local businesses and increase livability?
Nov. 17: Civic Engagement in Kakaako: Where do we go from here? What role does the community play in Kakaako? What is our kuleana? There are many roles that people can play to build a livable place for all in the heart of the urban core.
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