Reimagining our streets for health, fun and community
Proposals at the state legislature could pave the way for a fresh, exciting future in Hawaiʻi's built environment—a future where streets are more than just car lanes. HB1260 would support the creation of a Summer Street Pilot Program, designed to temporarily transform car-congested roadways into vibrant spaces for outdoor fun and social interaction.
The idea behind summer streets is similar to a community block party: streets temporarily closed to traffic and opened up to lively events, bike rides, and play.
If passed, HB1260 would require the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation to collaborate with each county to identify specific streets that would benefit from reduced vehicular traffic and prioritization of pedestrians. The streets would also have to be in areas central to local commerce, cultural activities, and community engagement.
Counties would be expected to submit possible locations and a schedule for road closure to the Director of Transportation before the end of 2025.
Although temporary, summer streets could create a thriving environment for social interactions amongst the community, and encourage healthy activities. Families could bring their children to a paved outdoor environment where they can bike, skate, run, and more without danger, noise, or pollution from vehicles.
The National Park Service notes that “providing an outlet for physical activity for individuals of all ages can help reduce the prevalence of certain preventable diseases such as heart disease.”
Kauaiʻi's Play Streets program, photographed by Abbey Seitz, Hawaiʻi Appleseed
The idea is not new. The program is inspired by a successful Sommar Gata (“Summer Streets”) program in the Swedish city of Malmö. Every year since 2017, from April to October, Malmö transforms its streets, offering pedestrians a place to walk, shop, and relax without the usual traffic noise and pollution. Malmö success is due, in part, to ongoing communication with businesses, residents, and stakeholders to ensure everyone’s on the same page about the event.
Successful summer streets programs also take place in Seattle, Houston, Ann Arbor, New York City and even on Kauaʻi. Seattle’s program allows closed roads to be used for barbecues, art walks, live music performances, and more. New York City’s Summer Streets began as a pilot in 2008, with three car-free Saturdays. With about 150,000 people in attendance, the initial pilot events were a huge success. Fifteen years later, New York City expanded their Summer Streets to five boroughs, covering about 20 miles of car-free streets.
Here in Hawaiʻi, Kauaʻi’s Play Streets Program provides a great example of what’s possible. Kauaʻi’s Play Streets Program closes streets for a few hours during community events, such as the Kekaha Family Fun Day or the Rice Street Block Party. While the Kauaʻi Play Streets Program started as a pilot program in 2022, it later became a long-term island-wide program with eight successful events held by October 2023. After a year of successful events, the Kauaʻi Play Streets Program published its 2023 Annual Report, which highlights the outcomes and best practices of their program.
With many residents in Hawaiʻi lacking access to spaces where they can safely walk, bike and roll, temporarily turning streets into safe, vibrant community spaces would be a game changer. Let’s work together to promote healthy living and foster a stronger sense of community through a summer streets program.
