The In-Sync City Historic Communities in a Changing World

Abstract

The city of Honolulu recently adopted plans for a mass‐transit system to service West ‘Oahu because of escalating traffic problems, amongst other issues. The system will transport residents to and from the downtown business district. In doing so, surrounding communities are already being affected by multiple urban design options that are currently being explored to encourage growth along the transit route. In particular, the future downtown Chinatown transit station has potential to not only generate social and economic growth for the area but also to revitalize the community and protect the unique culture through the use of community participation techniques and Transit‐Oriented Development (TOD) principles. Based on a series of case studies, historical‐interpretive research, first‐hand interviews, and mapping exercises this doctorate project discusses common trends based on the similarities and differences between the requirements of TODs and that of historic communities. The principles for TODs stress that station designs should be compact and should consist of multiple uses, all of which could transform the area into a destination for residents, visitors, and investors.1 Overall, the guidelines are written to apply to any community. In doing so, TODs tend to have a reputation for forcing a one‐size‐fits‐all solution on how to successfully develop communities located along transit lines, which lends itself to controversy since communities—historic communities especially—differ drastically. Through the use of logical argumentation, a series of hypotheses is provided for how historic communities can respond positively to the implementation of not only mass‐transit systems, but any modern stimulus. The overall objective is to provide a potential solution or guide for future developers, city officials, urban planners, architects, and community stakeholders of historic communities to follow when facing similar situations. Through testing the hypotheses on Honolulu’s Chinatown, a simplified, graphic‐based process is suggested. The process sets out to define how other historic communities can evaluate themselves and utilize a modern stimulus as a means to grow and evolve sustainably over time without compromising the unique culture of the area. 1 Robert T. Dunphy, Robert Cervero, Frederick C. Dock, Maureen McAvey, Douglas R. Porter, Carol J. Swenson. Developing Around Transit: Strategies and Solution That Work. Washington D.C.: ULI‐Urban Land Institute, 2004. 170‐ 183.