Ideas for Urban Resilience

As cities emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, how can they become more resilient? In this article, Sterling Higa captures the insights of five experts: 

1. Dr. Karl Kim, a disaster preparedness expert;
2. Todd Boulanger, a transportation specialist;
3. Doug Johnstone, a real estate developer;
4. State Senator Stanley Chang, a lawmaker; and
5. Dr. Ashok Das, an expert in international development.

The article discusses a range of ideas, including "slow cities," multimodal transportation, mixed-use development, walkable neighborhoods, and the importance of civil society. While the discussion focuses on Honolulu, it also has relevance for other cities. After all, topics such as disaster preparedness, declining usage of public transit, changes in residential design, affordable housing, and cross-sectoral collaboration are equally important in other cities across the United States.

As an added bonus, this article features wonderful illustrations by Amy Ngo.