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.

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 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. — **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)