Mother Waldron Park in Kaka'ako, Honolulu

"As Oahu's population increases and urban redevelopment crowds more people into the close quarters of high-rise living, creating and preserving vibrant green spaces for recreation and relaxation must be a higher priority. It's much better for the city if those green spaces are on ground level, open to all, rather than private aeries limited to the wealthy denizens of a single luxury building.
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There are some thriving examples of such joint efforts in Honolulu, but there need to be more. The Outdoor Circle, the 102-year-old group responsible for planting so many of the majestic trees that grace Honolulu parks, has partnered with the city to replace these soaring specimens as they reach the end of their natural lifespans or succumb prematurely to vandalism or disease. The Hawaii Branch of the Trust for Public Land has come to the table with private money and expertise to work with the city and state to acquire private land for public use, most recently on the North Shore. And a Waikiki hotelier has stepped up to maintain a small park that had been taken over by vagrants.

Increasing city funding for park maintenance as a core government function and forging partnerships that expand and improve public green spaces are the best route to raising our ParkScore, and, more important, to improving Oahu's quality of life. Like those other cities, the city of Honolulu should be synonymous with great parks."

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