Community Design Workshop 3.2

The second Riverwalk Community Design Workshop of 2024 took place at Halewai’olu Senior Residences. There were 30 people in attendance, half of which were tenants at Halewai’olu.

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The meeting began with a presentation from SHADE fellows about local site conditions, and information gathered in the last workshop, and ended with an introduction of two design concepts.

Click on the slide to scroll through the presentation.

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Concept 1: Rebuild and Revitalize

This concept takes the spirit of the original 1969 plan and brings it into this century. Restores to its original plan while making necessary improvements and adding great new spaces.

Concept 2: Naturalizing the Stream

This concept brings the stream back to its origins before the walls were built. By naturalizing the edge the site is able to be somewhat restored to its pre-contact nature in a post-contact context.

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After the presentation, guests were divided into two groups, and SHADE fellows heard from those in attendance about their opinions on the proposed design, current issues on site, and future developments they wished to see.

Community Design Workshop 3.1

On July 23rd, 2024 SHADE met with 27 community stakeholders, including Karen Chang First Lady of Honolulu, Michael Formby, Managing Director at the Mayor’s office, Krishna Daiaran Deputy Managing Director, Dori Amano Mutsui and Keith Nishimura from the Department of Parks and Recreation, Senator Carol Fukunaga, as well as reps from American Savings Bank, Federal Credit Union, Chinatown Cultural Plaza, Izumo Taishakyo, Kukui Children’s Foundation, Halewai’olu Senior Residences, and Kukui Gardens.

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The meeting began with a presentation from Mayor Rick Blangiardi summarizing the history, efforts, and importance of revitalizing the Riverwalk. You can find the summary below.

Followed by a presentation about SHADE’s past work in Chinatown and the Riverwalk and recently collected data about the site.

Click on the slide to scroll through the presentation.

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After the presentation, SHADE held a survey to gather demographics about the meeting participants. The results of which are shown below.

Click on the slide to scroll through the results.

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Lastly SHADE fellows briefly met with community members to hear their thoughts on the site and what they wanted for future developments. The findings of which will influence future design.

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River Walk Community Design Workshop 2.2

Following the June 2018 Community Design Workshop, SHADE Institute organized the River Walk Community Design Workshop 2.2 to provide conceptual design recommendations to community members and stakeholders that seek to address issues brought up at the previous workshop.

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river walk design vignettes

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Concept Design Maps

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design charrette activity

To collect input on the concept designs, the workshop included a design charrette activity, which divided guests into groups for each of the design focuses. Community members were asked to comment on the design concepts and provide their own input on improving the River Walk. Using cut-out pictures of public amenities such as street lights and benches, each group placed these cut-outs onto the concept maps to add more specified capital investment recommendations. Among the different cut-outs, lighting were placed the most among the three groups.

Amongst the 22 workshop participants were the Honorary Mayor Joseph Young,  Former State Senator Susie Chun-Oakland, AARP representatives Jackie Boland, Wes Fong from CCA, as well as reps from Hawaii Federal Credit Union, American Savings Bank, Chinatown Cultural Plaza, Izuma Taisha, and Lum Sai Ho Tong.

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Click on the slide to scroll through the presentation.

River Walk Revitalization Community Design Workshop 2.1

On June 14th, SHADE Institute organized a community design workshop to engage with community members to get inputs on the geographic boundaries of a Special Improvement District (SID) for the River Walk.

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Neighborhood Boundary Activity

Step 1: Draw on your map where you think the Kukui / River Walk neighborhood is. What defines a neighborhood? Housing? Memories? Culture?

Step 2: Go around the room and share where you drew the boundary. What factors lead to that decision? Using the thread and pins provided, work together to decide a neighborhood boundary.

Members of the Chinatown community were asked to draw out and share what they perceived to be the neighborhood boundary of the River Walk.

results

Team Orange

Team Blue

Team Purple

Team Green

“Our boundary encompasses a bigger area of Chinatown. We think
including the rail station is important. Starting from the harbor, going up
including Aala Park and the Kukui Gardens complex, up to Vineyard, the tail end
of River Street, Foster Gardens, and the Chinatown Historic District.”

— Haven Rafto (Team Purple)

“Within the River Walk area, there are five historical icons (Foster Botanical Garden, Lum Sai Ho Tong Temple, Izumo Taishakyo, Chinatown Cultural Plaza, Mun Lun School). The whole area is cultural, many people come here just to see the sites. I think it will be easier to control the area if it was limited to the businesses/housing complexes immediately surrounding the River Walk. The bigger the area, the bigger the problems.”

— Howard Lum (Team Orange)

“People (residents) need to be a stakeholder. They need to feel connected and have a sense of ownership. These people support Chinatown
businesses and we should instill in them an incentive for voting and the development of Chinatown.”

— Barbara Readnower (Team Green)

“We also decided to limit our neighborhood boundaries because of size and limitations. We decided not include Aala Park because of all the
political issues.”

— Hale Takazawa (Team Blue)

“I think if this neighborhood becomes a nice area people will buy into the (tiered) membership. The River Walk has to be nice and safe place, especially at night.”

— Liana Benn (Team Blue)

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Click on the slide to scroll through the presentation.

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questionnaire results

Analytical Maps of the River Walk

Market Kiosk Petition

If you would to help turn this market kiosk proof of concept into a reality, please e-mail us at shade.institute.hi@gmail.com stating "I support this petition" and we will add your name to our petition.

River Walk Community Design Workshop

On November 29th, SHADE Institute organized a community design workshop to open the discussion on how we can improve our River walk.

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Place It! Activity

Workshop attendees gathering around to play Place It!

The inspiration for this activity came from an interactive urban planning activity called Place It! designed by urban planner James Rojas. This activity offered us the opportunity to learn from each other and share our memories of the River Walk which may apply to its future improvements.

We asked our workshop attendees to place the objects (kiosk ideas) where they would like to see them along River walk and to write down their favorite memories from the past associated with the object.

“Lei shops were found on the sidewalks in Chinatown, especially on Maunakea Street. The lei vendors were very nice. Put a lei shop at the end of Vineyard Boulevard.”

— Dr. Joseph Young, Honorary Mayor of Chinatown

“Playing chess with my dad and concentrating so hard that one ear would get hot. Playing chess along the stream would be lovely.”

— Senator Karl Rhoads

“Eating Dim Sum on Sundays after church with my family and drinking tea throughout our meal.”

— Anj Lum, American Savings Bank

“Happy memories of visiting College Walk area and going to Japanese Samurai movies at Toyo Theater. What a treat!”

— Councilmember Carol Fukunaga

“The land under Lum Sai Ho Tong was once an orchard of fruit trees which fed the Ali’i. It’s boundaries ran into the river. Today, oranges and other fruit are offered as homage to the ancestors, at Tin Hau Temple. Beautification of the River walk with trees that are beneficial would return it to its ancient roots. A produce store also stood there at one time. A kiosk that sells fruit would be lovely.”

— Kehaulani Lum, Lum Sai Ho Tong

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A Walking Tour of River Walk

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Dr. Joseph Young (Honorary Mayor of Chinatown) and Councilmember Carol Fukunaga discussing their visions for Chinatown.