Implementing Quick-Build Projects to Support Physical Activity in Hawai‘i Communities: Lessons Learned about Community Engagement

Abstract

Quick-build projects aim to improve the safety and accessibility of streets, parks, and other public spaces using temporary, lower-cost materials. Community engagement is critical to ensuring quick-builds address community needs and fit community context. Between 2019-2021, 13 quick-build projects were implemented in Hawai‘i communities to support walking, rolling, bicycling, skateboarding, and park activation. The quick-build changes included creating curb extensions painted with street artwork and adding park features. This process evaluation study sought to understand how multisector partners engaged community members in quick-build projects and what they learned. The evaluation team conducted semi-structured interviews in 2021 with a purposive sample of 14 participants. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, then iteratively coded by two evaluators. Preliminary findings underwent a member-checking process with participants. Evaluation participants implemented a variety of community engagement activities tailored to the quick-build project’s goal, features, timeline, resources, and partners. Overall, community engagement efforts focused on the early planning and design phases of quick-build projects. Lessons learned about community engagement centered on the amount of time to build relationships, the importance of partnerships, ensuring any art component resonated with communities, involving youth, framing the quick-build as temporary and reversible, budgeting for community engagement resources, connecting through existing community structures, and keeping community volunteers safe. Community members need to be more meaningfully engaged in post-implementation efforts such as maintenance, evaluation, and deciding next steps.