Community-Based Planning

The following are examples of HACBED’s work in the area of supporting community-based planning:

  • DHHL Waiʻanae and Nānākuli Regional Plan Updates – HACBED provided support to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) in its 10-month process of updating the Wai‘anae and Lualualei Regional Plan and the Regional Plan for the Traditional Native Lands of the Ahupua‘a of Nānākuli. HACBED, in partnership with DHHL, updated, analyzed, and summarized data in the regions; conducted stakeholder interviews and focus groups in the regions; conducted community meetings within the regions; and provided an updated regional plan for each of the two regions. 
  • Hawaiʻi County Community Development Plans – A partnership with the Hawaiʻi County Office of Planning, HACBED and Islander Institute assisted with the development of region specific Community Development Plans (CDPs) for Kaʻū and Hāmākua.  The CDPs were intended to serve as the forum for community input into establishing County policy at the regional level and coordinating the delivery of County services to the community.
  • Transit Oriented Community-Based Economic Development (TOCBED) – a partnership between HACBED, the University of Hawai`i’s Department of Urban & Regional Planning and Social Policy Center, and Plan Pacific (a planning consulting firm) to research previous plans and studies, contact area businesses and residents, and conduct surveys and facilitate community forums to explore broad-based “grassroots” planning models to assist three urban neighborhoods – Central Kaka`ako, Ala Moana-Sheridan-Kaheka, and McCully-Mō`ili`ili to [1] articulate preferred scenarios for social and economic revitalization; [2] build these communities’ capacity to implement a strategic plan for their preferred future; and [3] assist State and county policymakers in developing a master plan to integrate transit-development opportunities with state-federal and local programs that address the needs of urban communities with a strong ethnic-historic heritage, and capitalize on public institutional assets.  The work resulted in a report, Honolulu’s Cultural Heritage Corridor: A Strategic Vision & Development Framework For Central Kaka`ako, Ala Moana-Sheridan-Kaheka, & McCully-Mō`ili`ili that provided recommendations for a [a] governance structure and [b] mitigating impacts and addressing development opportunities through community based initiatives.  The initiative was funded by the City & County of Honolulu and the State Legislature.
  • Lanaians For Sensible Growth – provide process design, research, facilitation, and technical support to a community-based planning initiative to establish a development framework for the Lāna‘i community that will be used to negotiate a community benefits agreement and assess future planning and development efforts on the island. The process included use of ‘ohana dialogue sessions (family to family talk story sessions using a popular education methodology), Speak Outs, a door to door survey, and community gatherings.
  • Empower O`ahu – designed and conducted community and regional strategic planning processes in 9 communities as part of the City & County of Honolulu’s federal HUD Empowerment Zone application process in 1998 and 2000. HACBED then served as fiscal sponsor and management agent for the implementation phase of this island-wide initiative to create opportunities for residents in low/moderate income communities on O`ahu.  The 9 communities are investing and leveraging $4 million in City/federal resources for community development.
  • Workforce Development Community Audits – a study conducted for the O`ahu Workforce Investment Board to promote strategic workforce investment decisions through the analysis of areas on Oʻahu where residents would benefit from investments of OWIB resources and activities; high growth industries that can employ new workers and support entrepreneurship; and industries that can provide high wages and career ladders to create upward mobility for low income individuals.
  • State Office of Youth Services – in partnership with UH-DURP, HACBED worked with OYS on a two-year education, training, and facilitation project to expand the capacity of the agency to plan and establish a community-building approach to the development of a continuum of youth services statewide. Part of this effort is to develop a strategic plan for the Office within the context of this strategic focus.
  • Community Visioning in FSM & Palau – through a contract with The Nature Conservancy, the Governors’ Association of Palau, the Palau Conservation Society, and the Conservation Society of Pohnpei, HACBED provided trainings and technical assistance for officials from federal, state, and municipal governments, NGOs, and traditional leaders on community visioning for sustainable development.
  • Coastal Biocultural Restoration as a Nexus for Innovation Workshop – HACBED provided facilitation support to Purple Maiʻa Foundation for its National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator project: Coastal Biocultural Restoration as a Nexus for Innovation Workshop, which was hosted virtually from May 13, 2021 through May 17, 2021. Engaging 314 participants from 6 countries and 10 U.S. states, the workshop convened a diverse group representing different sectors of society, including Indigenous Peoples / Native Hawaiians, scientists, businesses/corporations, government officials, tribal leaders, university leaders, cultural practitioners and community-based nonprofit leaders to develop project ideas and define priorities for use-inspired research and application centered around the process and practice of coastal biocultural restoration. As part of its workshop support, HACBED assisted with the planning and lead facilitation of Aho (Track) 1 – Coastal Biocultural Restoration for Resilience: Food & Flooding and Aho 3: Sustainable Development and Coastal Biocultural Restoration.  In addition to the actual workshop facilitation, the scope of work included assistance to the planning team in designing the workshop to effectively identify priorities for high-impact applications of biocultural restoration, sharing of successful models, and strengthening of network connections, along with workshops debriefs, and report support focused on review and feedback. The workshop was the third step in the Convergence Accelerator Program Modelʻs Ideation Process and the final report will assist NSF in selecting future track topic(s). Selected tracks will move into the Convergence Research Focus phase and will be released in a program solicitation with selected awards focusing on the acceleration of basic research into practice and the leveraging of multidisciplinary approach / partnerships with funding of up to $750K for a 9 months planning phase and funding of up to $5M for the subsequent 24 months solutions development phase.
  • Aloha Harvest – 2020 was an unprecedented year in which pandemic conditions exacerbated existing food insecurity for Hawaiʻi families. HACBED was contracted by Aloha Harvest, an Oʻahu-based food rescue organization, to perform a study on the potential development of a Food Hub.  As part of the Food Hub study, HACBED supported Aloha Harvest through evaluations of the current market for food rescue, identifying potential facilities for acquisition and performing financial projections, assisting with facilitation and documentation of feedback from focus groups, and engaging relevant stakeholders and partners to conceptualize synergistic and cross-sectoral pathways for expansion. 
  • Maui Affordable Housing Plan Community Shareback – In support of Hawaiian Community Assets’ (HCA) contract with the Office of Council Services on November 9, 2020, HACBED supported the HCA team in carrying out four shareback meetings in April 2021 that helped to inform the published Maui County’s Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan. HACBED provided planning, coordination, and documentation support during the four virtual share back meetings. These share back meetings encouraged several community members to call their representatives, volunteer to be affordable housing advocates, and offer their professional skills in support of this plan.  
  • Pōhue Bay – HACBED supported the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and National Park Service (NPS) in preparation of the transfer of a 16,451-acre parcel of Pōhue Bay to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park through the convening of various stakeholders to guide its management, protection, and preservation of the parcel. HACBED convened community engagement listening sessions surrounding updates tied to Pōhue Bay and the current process for NPS to manage the land and collected community feedback, concerns, and suggestions that focused around stewardship of and access to the area. HACBED gathered community feedback and concerns from key stakeholders, including residents near the Pōhue Bay property, Native Hawaiians individuals with historical connections to the land, Native Hawaiian organizations, and other Hawaiʻi Island stewardship organizations.