A baby lu‘au is an important time among local families. That first birthday marks a major milestone in a young child’s life. It offers an opportunity to welcome the baby into the family. It requires fairly complex planning, bringing relatives
A baby lu‘au is an important time among local families.
That first birthday marks a major milestone in a young child’s life. It offers an opportunity to welcome the baby into the family. It requires fairly complex planning, bringing relatives from all over to help celebrate the occasion, always with plenty of food. Family members help out by sharing responsibilities and making sure everything runs smoothly.
For parents, the baby lu‘au is often a time to think about the future for that baby and how much love, nurturing, learning and protection will be needed in the years ahead as the child grows to adulthood. It is a time to reflect on how will they be educated, what opportunities they will have and where will they live as adults.
How can we plan our communities to ensure that the babies of today will have a high quality of life in the future?
For everyone who lives, works or shops in the Lihu‘e district, that will be the question the public will be asked at a Nov. 12 meeting called “Lihu‘e’s Baby Lu‘au: Planning Our Keiki’s Future” at 7 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center in Lihu‘e.
The meeting is part of a three-day session from Nov. 12 to 14 led by a Sustainable Design Assessment Team from the American Institute of Architects.
A team of volunteer professionals from around the country will be working with local residents and leaders to consider new ways of planning for Lihu‘e’s future based on sustainability concepts and smart growth principles.
The emphasis over the three days will be on five areas: land use, energy efficiency and alternative energy, water and wastewater, economic development, and transportation and transit options. The results promise to offer new thinking that will guide and enhance the upcoming Lihu‘e Development Plan update.
At the Nov. 12 event, the public will be asked to share their ideas about Lihu‘e’s future. A follow-up public meeting will be held Nov. 14, also at 7 p.m. at the Veterans Center, to present recommendations that emerge from the community’s ideas generated over the three days.
The Group 70 Foundation and county of Kaua‘i have joined the AIA as sponsors of this program.
Organizers are the Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance, county of Kaua‘i and Lihu‘e Business Association. Mayor Bill “Kaipo” Asing and Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura serve as honorary chairs of the project.
Mark your calendars, and plan to participate.
• Diane Zachary is president and CEO of Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance. She can be reached at kpaa@kauainetwork.org
