Frequently Asked Questions
What is crowdsourced placemaking?
We’ve got a great definition with videos and examples here!
Where are the boundaries for Downtown Hilo?
Downtown Hilo is described as the Downtown Hilo Commercial District (CDH) in the Hawaii County Code, Chapter 25 (Zoning). It is one of the few areas on the island that allows mixed uses. The boundaries are delineated by the development areas formed by Kapiolani Street, Kaiulani Street, Wailuku River, Hilo Bay, and Ponahawai Street (see map).
What is EDH 2025 and OurDowntownHilo?
EDH 2025 is a community-driven long-range vision plan for what Downtown Hilo can become. OurDowntownHilo is a crowdsourced placemaking program for implementing that vision.
What are Focus Areas?
Principle themes within the EDH 2025 Plan. All Actions fall into one of the Six Focus Areas. The diversity of the Focus Areas ensures that the EDH 2025 Plan remains balanced and sustainable. They also follow the Triple Bottom Line philosphy – for people, planet, and profit. Administrators for this site will be adding the relevent Focus Area at the bottom of each entry as a reference for linking new ideas and postings to the EDH 2025 Plan.
How can I get involved?
Register here (instructions) then begin “liking”, commenting, and submitting new ideas for great places that should exist, but don’t!
How many times can I vote for an entry?
You can only vote once for an entry; but, you can vote for as many entries as you choose. So don’t forget to visit all entries that you ‘like’.
How do I submit an entry?
First, make sure there is not another similar entry already posted. Check this by clicking on one or more of the ‘TAGS’ that best describes your place-making idea or project. Individuals or organizations may submit entries.
How do I submit a comment for an entry that’s already posted?
First, click on the picture; then scroll down, past the description, to the very bottom of the page. You may see other comments that have already been posted. Go to the ‘Post a comment’ box and type in your comments. Finally, click on ‘Post comments’.
What is appropriate to submit as an entry?
This is a ‘crowdsourced placemaking‘ site for creating great places in Downtown. Appropriate submittals would be ideas or projects that are event oriented, a new development, businesses or retail uses you’d like to see, or new activities/uses in public spaces. One test – is that you be able to visualize your idea or project on the ground at a specific location in Downtown. There are many other ways to implement our EDH 2025 Vision that will not be ‘crowdsourced’ on this site: such as working on plans or studies, regulatory changes, or programs. Many of these are listed in the Living Action Plan section of the EDH 2025 Plan. We hope you will continue to rally for those actions too.
What happens after I submit an entry?
This is when you start a Campaign for the entry. Contact your community of family and friends and encourage them to register. After being notified that their registration has been received, they can ‘like’ and/or submit comments on your entry. Also encourage them to also support other entries they ‘like’.
What is a Campaign?
A Campaign is a rally around the posted entries by a supporting community where a goal is set to achieve a determined number of ‘likes’ by a specified date. The community is encouraged to contact their family and circle of friends to support their favorite entries. for the first Campaign, the goal is for entries to secure 60 or more ‘likes’ by December 31, 2011. All entries that do not secure ’60 likes’ during a campaign period will automatically carry over to the next campaign. Entries can continue to accummulate more than ’60 likes’ over time. The number of required ‘likes’ may increase with subsequent campaigns as public involvement increases.
How long is a Campaign for entries kept open?
The initial Campaign period is approximately 2 months as the concept is new and it may take some time for the community to join in. Subsequent Campaign periods may vary depending on the number of new postings and the focus to help move implementation forward for the entries from the first campaign.
What happens after a Campaign deadline?
A more formal implementation process will be initiated for the entries that have achieved the determined number of ‘Likes’. The first step will be to meet with the supporters of the top entrants and conduct a Feasibility Assessment to determine whether the idea has funding/investment possibilities and if there is an interested or committed Lead Solution Partner to turn an idea into an action and lead its implementation. We’re hoping that the individual who submitted the entry is willing to stay involved throughout its implementation.
What happens when my idea is prioritized and assesses for implementation?
Once an idea or project receives at least ’60 likes’, it is empowered to take a step forward. This is a process where questions are asked to determine whether the ‘idea’ is truly ready for implementation. There are several factors that determine whether an idea or project is feasible. Fundamental to every idea is community support or backing by an engaged community – which is what Crowdsourced Placemaking and this website is all about. Second, is identifying a Lead Solution Partner or Sponsor, who may decide if additional number of ‘Likes’ are needed to provide evidence of legitimate market interest. The feasibility assessment also involves gathering supporters of the entry to conduct a more comprehensive review of the idea by further discussing and asking questions that will move the idea forward. This also includes reviewing comments provided by the community. Meetings could be held with other submitters of top entries to assess coordination, collaboration, and timing, so that implementation efforts are not duplicated or in conflict with each other.
Who is a Lead Solution Partner?
A Lead Solution Partner or LSP is a term used in the EDH 2025 Plan referring to a stakeholder who has committed to take a lead role to help implement an action. They are usually an organization, agency, or a developer who leads the charge for an initial phase, task, or who takes on the long term commitment toward fulfilling implementation of an action. Large projects often command success by having a community group and government agency share the LSP role. A committed LSP serves as one of the determining factors for whether an idea posted on this website turns into an implementable action. Leadership provides direction and organization which are essential for moving forward and accomplishing a task. A committed LSP is also a criteria for prioritizing projects during implementation since it often determines a projects ‘readiness’.
Who are Potential Partners?
The EDH 2025 Plan identifies actions that have strong support from the community but which do not have a committed LSP. Potential Partners (PPs) are stakeholder organizations, agencies, or developers who have not yet committed to implementing an action, but who could potentially command a lead role. If an idea is posted as an entry, the implementation process will include creating a list of PPs to be approached for future dialogue and recruitment.
Who are Supporting Partners?
Supporting Partners (SPs) are essential supportive individuals or organizations who contribute to successful implementation of an action or project. Behind every LSP, there is a community of dedicated SPs. They commit time, energy, manpower, skills, tools, or money to help create extraordinary results.
Who is sponsoring this site?
This a one (1) year pilot training project until August 25, 2012 that is sponsored by the County of Hawaii Planning Department for the community. The goal is to learn about and apply ‘crowdsourced placemaking‘ as a tool for moving implementation of the EDH 2025 Vision Plan forward. It is hoped that with the ‘crowd’ participation and projects moving forward, new sponsors will help to ensure that this site continues.
Who are the Administrators for this site?
County of Hawaii Planning Department and Cooltown Beta Communities.
