Resilient Futures by Design

Over the past decade, the University of Hawaiʻi Community Design Center has partnered with public agencies to demonstrate how design can address Hawaiʻi's most pressing challenges. By bringing together government, communities, students, and emerging professionals, these collaborations have reimagined systems, policies, and projects while creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of designers to contribute to real-world public initiatives.

Moderated by UHCDC, this session brought together leaders and partners from the Hawaiʻi State Senate and the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) to discuss statewide priorities, including food security, economic diversification, community revitalization, workforce development, and long-term resilience. Through examples of implemented and emerging initiatives, speakers shared how cross-sector partnerships are translating policy into action and creating new opportunities for the architecture, engineering, and construction industries to help shape a more resilient, equitable, and prosperous Hawaiʻi.

Thank you to Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, DBEDT Deputy Director Dane Wicker, and Kimi Makaiau for presenting and moderating this session!