Honolulu, HI

about

The Kalihi Valley Active Living Program is spearheaded by Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, a community health center serving as an important local resource in this diverse neighborhood. The partnership, which includes health center leadership, the City of Honolulu, a local bike shop, the Honolulu Community Action Program Gardening Program, managers and resident leaders of a public housing development, and other local organizations, strives to make active living part of people's daily routines.

The partnership is putting safe, accessible opportunities for physical activity within easy reach of its 35,000 residents. For example, through K-VIBE (Kalihi Valley Instructional Bicycle Exchange Program), participants learn the basics of bicycle repair, maintenance and safety, and can earn a bike of their own by helping to recycle one that needs to be refurbished. Installing bike racks, changing policies to allow bicycles on school grounds, advocating for bike lanes and traffic calming measures, and building awareness of these activities will help ensure these changes are woven into the community fabric and will impact future generations.

Similarly, the partnership is transforming a once-overgrown 100-acre parcel of land into a nature park that will offer hiking trails, community gardens, and opportunities to learn about active living, environmental restoration, and traditional Hawaiian culture. This effort, which has involved over 50 diverse organizational partners, including the National Park Service, the University of Hawaii School of Urban and Regional Planning, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Honululu Community College, Kaiser Permanente, the Kalihi Valley Homes Tenants Assocation, the Kalihi Neighborhood Board, Halau Lokahi (Native Hawaiian Charter School) and the Pig Hunters Association, is a testimony to the power of community will and support.

With the majority of Kalihi Valley's population being either Asian or Pacific Islander (and with a constant influx of immigrants into the community), the partnership's long-term vision is a return to community design based on a human and environmental scale – a scale that is deeply embedded in the native culture of both Asians and Polynesians. The partnership strives to connect these important traditional understandings with 21st century Honolulu's clear need for redesign and future sustainability.

our story

Greg has a new outlook on life. A former airline mechanic, he grew increasingly depressed, sedentary, and overweight after the death of his wife. Two years ago, Greg decided it was time for a change. He became a part-time bike mechanic for K-VIBE, a new "bicycle recycle" program in the Kalihi Valley neighborhood of Honolulu. In this role, Greg has taught hundreds of youngsters how to fix up bikes and, in the process, earn one of their own. As he has shared his tools of the trade with others, Greg has gained new tools for himself. Thanks to adopting a more active lifestyle, which includes biking and drinking more water instead of soda, Greg has lost over 100 pounds, enjoys better health, and is proud of the legacy he is helping to build with Kalihi youth.

opportunities

Kalihi Valley is a mixed urban and residential area in Honolulu that includes Hawaii's two largest public housing developments. Over 75% of Kalihi Valley's residents are Asian or Pacific Islanders, 23% have incomes below the federal poverty level, and 35% are foreign born. The community consists of densely-populated, multi-family dwellings and the state's largest concentration of residential care homes for elders. The population is at risk for health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, substance abuse, and high cholesterol, as well as high rates of domestic violence and youth delinquency.

Existing design and policy barriers to active living in Kalihi Valley are mainly the result of neglect. Urban sprawl, traffic congestion, overcrowded housing complexes, and lack of community input into decision-making processes have taken their toll on the community over the last 20 years. Specific barriers to active living include a lack of defined physical space for community gardens, crumbling or non-existent sidewalks, hazardous traffic conditions, lack of bike racks, few bike lanes (many of which end abruptly), litter, and underutilized community parks.

To overcome these barriers, the partnership is implementing a number of strategies, including collaborating those involved in key activity centers, such as public housing projects, schools and commercial areas. By creating more opportunities for daily physical activity, the partnership is improving quality of life in Kalihi Valley.

accomplishments

Secured a 20-year lease and raised over $180,000 in grants to create the Kalihi Valley active living center and nature park, which includes hiking trails, 20 acres for community gardens, native Hawaiian gardens, and a facility to support educational programs on active living, healthy eating, and the environment.

Increased awareness of and engagement in active living by organizing community bike rides and securing radio, television, and print media coverage featuring key programs, activities, and local role models.

Installed three bike racks and identifed locations for 15 additional ones around the community.

Teamed with the Kalihi Valley Neighborhood Board and local community organizations and developed a plan for improvements to pedestrian rights of way.

Refurbished and distributed more than 350 used bicyclists to local residents in K-VIBE's 1st year of operations.

Completed and broadcast a cable television show featuring Kalihi Valley Nature Park development.

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