{"id":226418,"date":"2025-12-03T16:01:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T02:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=226418"},"modified":"2025-12-03T16:01:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T02:01:52","slug":"world-town-planning-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/12\/03\/world-town-planning-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Age-friendly Hawai\u02bbi leads dialogue on World Town Planning Day"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"people
Panelists at World Town Planning Day discussed complex issues of planning for aging communities.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Mānoa\u2019s Department of Urban and Regional Planning<\/a> (DURP<\/abbr>) marked World Town Planning Day 2025 on November 6, with an event centered on building an age-friendly Hawaiʻi<\/span>. The program, supported by the American Planning Association\u2019s Hawaiʻi<\/span> chapter, brought together students, alumni, faculty and planning professionals for an evening of networking and discussion.<\/p>\n

\"person
Hawaiʻi<\/span> House Speaker and DURP<\/abbr> alumna Nadine K. Nakamura delivered the opening address.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hawaiʻi<\/span> House Speaker Nadine Nakamura, a DURP<\/abbr> alumna, opened the public forum, which highlighted how the importance of long-term planning can ensure a resilient future for Hawaiʻi<\/span>.<\/p>\n

An interdisciplinary panel organized by Associate Professor Suwan Shen explored issues ranging from public health and aging services to community design. Nargis Sultana, 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa DURP<\/abbr> alumna and PhD<\/abbr> candidate in public health, moderated the panel, which included Caroline Cadirao, Hawaiʻi<\/span> Executive Office of Aging; Kealiʻi<\/span> Lopez, AARP<\/abbr> Hawaiʻi<\/span>; Jordan Lewis, 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa Center on Aging; and Emma French, assistant professor in DURP<\/abbr>. The discussion examined how state agencies, nonprofits and local partners can better collaborate to meet the needs of Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s growing aging population.<\/p>\n

\"three
Audrey Awaya is one of two recipients of the 2025 Dinell Outstanding Alumni Award.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I have always found World Town Planning Day and the other events DURP<\/abbr> puts on to be very interesting and a great place to network and talk,” PhD<\/abbr> student Candler Weinberg said.<\/p>\n

The event also featured the department\u2019s annual awards ceremony. Alumni Audrey Awaya and Erin Wade received the 2025 Dinell Outstanding Alumni Award, and Scott Glenn, senior advisor in the Office of the Governor, was honored as Planner Who Made a Difference. Scholarships supported by local planning firms were presented to urban and regional planning students.<\/p>\n

“It was inspiring to see students, alumni and professionals in the same room discussing critical issues facing Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s communities,” said Chrislyn DeMattos, DURP<\/abbr> program specialist and event organizer.<\/p>\n

Tom Fee, vice president of HHF<\/abbr> Planners, a local firm, called the awards ceremony “very successful” and Dean Denise Konan of 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa\u2019s College of Social Sciences<\/a> enjoyed a “spectacular evening and celebration.”<\/p>\n

DURP<\/abbr> is housed in 糖心视频<\/abbr> Mānoa\u2019s College of Social Sciences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The program brought together students, alumni, faculty and planning professionals for an evening of networking and discussion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":226422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[679,301,1466,1314,1026,73,9,365],"class_list":["post-226418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-college-of-social-sciences","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-manoa-sustainability","tag-social-science","tag-sustainability","tag-uh-manoa","tag-urban-and-regional-planning","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t