Na Kanaka O Kilauea

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Designers

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Community Development in Kilauea Kauai

Key Words

Designers

Sophie Carswell

SUMMARY

I explored Kīlauea’s community orientation, focusing on how businesses shape social life. While businesses host events like art nights, they often prioritize profit over deeper community development. Opportunities for residents to connect outside commercial spaces are limited. Through interviews, stakeholder mapping, and research, I saw that strong community infrastructure beyond businesses is essential. Kīlauea’s strength lies in its people and culture, and fostering independent social spaces is key to preserving and strengthening the town’s community.

challenge

In my research, I found frustration over rapid development and the influx of higher-end stores in Kīlauea. This creates an opportunity to work with new, well-funded businesses to prioritize local residents and integrate into the community. By encouraging investment back into the town, these companies can support local culture while helping the economy grow, fostering a balance between development and community needs.

Outcome

My project evolved into a pilot community event designed to bring people together to enjoy live music, local art, and Kīlauea’s vibrant space. I realized the goal was to create something simple and accessible—an event people could just show up to and enjoy—prioritizing the community experience without any extra effort required from attendees.