dunagan and candy 2007 - foundfutures: chinatown

7/25/2019 Dunagan and Candy 2007 - FoundFutures: Chinatown

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FoundFutures:

Chinatown

Community Futures Initiative

Report submitted to the Hawaii Arts Alliance3 December 02007

Prepared by: Jake Dunagan & Stuart Candy


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Contents

I. Executive Summary p. 3

II.

Background

A. FoundFutures p. 5

B. FoundFutures: Chinatown p. 5

C. Project Timeline p. 6

III. Alternative Futures for ChinatownA. McChinatown p. 7

1. The Scenario

2. Illustrated Narrative of Street Installation

B. Green Dragon p. 11

1. The Scenario2. Illustrated Narrative of Street Installation

C. The Bird Cage p. 16

1. The Scenario

2. Illustrated Narrative of of Street Installation

IV. Gallery Exhibition p. 22

V. Chinatown Futures WorkshopA. Brief Overview p. 23

B. Narrative and Analysis p. 24

C. Alternative Futures p. 25

D. Transformation and Preferred Futures p. 25

VI. Conclusions p. 27

VII. Appendices1: Original proposal draft p. 28

2: Alternative Urban Futures Exhibition-- Artist Statement p. 30

3: Credits and Acknowledgements p. 31

4: McChinatown Websites p. 33

5: Direct participant responses p. 356: Alternative Futures ExerciseInstructions and responses from each

group p. 37


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Executive Summary

This report presents an overview and analysis of FoundFutures:Chinatown, a futures-oriented community dialogue initiative created by Jake Dunagan and Stuart Candy whichtook place in Honolulu in October-November 02007. The project was funded in part by

the Hawaii Arts Alliance and this report is submitted in fulfillment of the requirements ofthe award.

The centerpiece and culminating event of the project was a community workshopexploring Chinatowns past, present, and futures. It took place from 12-4pm on SaturdayNovember 17, 02007 at the Arts at Marks Garage. To set the stage for this workshopwithin the community, FoundFuturesworked with multiple teams of designers and artiststo create and execute several distributed installations throughout Chinatown (seeAppendix 3 for full project credits and acknowledgments). These included artifacts andimages manifesting aspects of distinct alternative futures. Following the ambientdisplay of the scenarios on the streets, buildings, and visual environment of Chinatown,

as well as supporting materials on the web, FoundFuturesassembled these artifacts andimages and produced a gallery exhibition as part of Alternative Urban Futures at the Artsat Marks Garage from October 23-November 17.

We are pleased to note that both the workshop, and the FoundFuturescommunity artintervention which led up to (and helped promote) that event, were very well receivedand appear to have succeeded in their goals. From feedback both formal and informal wegather that participants were indeed challenged to think more carefully, systematically,and creatively about the possible futures of this fascinating neighborhood. The workshopparticipants offered stimulating reactions to our scenarios, and weve learned a great dealabout the area from our interactions with the environment and a wide range of

constituents along the way. These lessons and new knowledge will also inform ourBright Ideas (Audiowalk of the Futures) project as we develop it further and search forenabling funding.

Among the most common themes recurring throughout this project, detailed in latersections, is that the only authentic Chinatown is the one that exists in our personal andcollective imagination. Massive changes have occurred over the course of time, radicallyaltering the landscape, the built environment, and the demographic composition of thearea. While some wish to retain the cultural and architectural landmarks that they feelgive Chinatown its unique character, others believe that change itself is what Chinatownis about, and conclude that little need be done to fossilize one particular phase of the

process. These competing attitudes were brought into sharp relief over the course of theproject, especially in the reactions to our street simulations of alternative futures forChinatown.

Also, having spent a significant portion of time thinking about, walking around, andinteracting with the urban landscape and streets of Chinatown, we have been struck byhow the common reputation of Chinatown as dirty, dangerous, and unsightly has notcaught up to present reality. While homelessness and public intoxication remain visible,


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the streets are remarkably clean, most buildings well-kept, and the atmosphere non-threatening, day and night. In fact, many people weve talked to lament what they see asloss of character during the last few years, regarding the heightened police presence andinflux of hipsters as a nuisance, and yearning for the good old days of a grittier, edgierChinatown.

It can be safely concluded that the FoundFutures:Chinatownproject created substantialcommunity interest, and some controversy, within Chinatown and beyond. Withouttaking a stance on which particular direction to choose, it challenged the community toaddress several driving forces affecting the area and to engage in public action to pursuepreferred futures.

The project also garnered several articles in the local press and on the web, includingfront-page coverage in the Honolulu Advertiser. This public attention, althoughoccasionally misinterpreting the intentions of the project, was ultimately beneficial as wewere able to use it to expand the conversation around the deep fears and hopes about the

future dwelling in the community. It is our hope that the FoundFutures:Chinatowneffortwill serve as a springboard for an ongoing, in-depth conversation in which the multitudeof voices that make Chinatown the remarkable place it has always been will continue tobe heard. If the response weve had so far is any indication, this is already happening.


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Background

FoundFutures

FoundFutures injects futures into the present. It is a multimedia, collaborative project

based on the idea that a wider range of possible futures should be made visible andthinkable to people in their everyday lives. It aims to provoke thought, conversation, andaction by creating and distributing art, artifacts, images, performances and other mediathat embody possible worlds to come.

Truly useful futures work has always been innovative and provocative, challenging itsaudience to venture beyond the "crackpot realism" of the present. Yet it should also be asaffective and immersive as possible, engaging the brain, body, and surroundingenvironment in a full experience of the scenario at hand. Quality foresight -- including forinstance the myriad reports on major hurricane risks to New Orleans -- is futile unless itcan mobilize timely and appropriate action, at the individual, organizational, and social

levels.

A new breed of design-oriented futurists (and future-oriented designers) isexperimenting with groundbreaking methods to bring futures to life. They don't merelydescribe, but actually manifest, alternative possible worlds in your brain, in your body,and on the streets. Stuart Candy and Jake Dunagan of the Hawaii Research Center forFutures Studies have teamed with artists, performers, and designers on projects designedto move alternative futures from the distant realm of the men

FoundFutures: Chinatown

FoundFutures:Chinatowngrew out of two important strands of our recent work. The firstwas our contribution to the kickoff event for the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Initiativein August 02006, at which we immersed 500+ participants in alternative experientialscenarios, set in four different versions of the year 2050. The positive feedback andsuccess of the Hawaii 2050 event encouraged us to develop these techniques further.

The second was a "Bright Ideas" grant from the Hawaii Arts Alliance to conduct researchtowards producing an audio walk of Chinatown set in the future. While seekingsponsorship for the full-scale audio walk budget, we secured a small grant through theHawaii Arts Alliance to run a community futures workshop in Chinatown.

The intention here was twofold. First, to provide residents, business owners and otherstakeholders in the district with a rare opportunity to reflect both systematically andimaginatively on the possible, probable and preferred futures for the area over a longertime horizon than they might typically be accustomed to planning. This was to providethem a richer context for pursuing their preferred futures, and is part of HRCFScommunity and education orientation as a state-mandated institution. The second aimwas for us as FoundFutures project directors to learn more about the prevailing attitudesand ideas (about things including, but not limited to, the future) among Chinatown's


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stakeholders. This, we felt, would help us build more informed scenarios cognizant ofand relevant to the real concerns (and blind-spots) of those parties, for our ongoing workin Chinatown.

Project timeline

June 02006: Bright Ideas Award-- A Guided Audiowalk of Chinatowns Futures.

October 02006-February 02007:Initial research phase: audiowalk and Chinatown

histories and locations.

November 02006-June 02007:Project development/discussions with Hawaii Arts

Alliance (Erik Takeshita and Wiwik Bunjamin-Mau). [See appendix 1--draftproposal].

August 02007:Final proposal and approval for workshop.

September 02007:Scenario development, creative direction of design, art, andperformance collaborators, location scouting, production and printing of futuresartifacts, community outreach.

October 5, 02007 (First Friday): Launch and performance ofMcChinatownscenario.

October 13-15, 02007: Installation and performance of Green Dragonscenario.

October 15, 02007: Honolulu Advertiser article, Chinatown Pranks, with a

Purpose. Section A, pg.1.

October 16-23, 02007: Installation and performance of The Bird Cage scenario.

October 23, 02007: Culmination of ambient artifacts display in Chinatown.

October 23, 02007: Opening of FoundFutures gallery exhibition, contribution toAlternative Urban Futures show at the Arts at Marks Garage. [See appendix 2-Artist statement and appendix 3-acknowledgements].

November 15, 02007: Artist Talk at Alternative Urban Futures show.

November 17, 02007: Chinatown Futures Workshop, The Arts at Marks Garage.


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Alternative Futures for Chinatown

McChinatown ~02010

What if Chinatown were taken over by corporate interests?

A Starbucks on a prime corner of Honolulu's most eclectic, gritty, and originalneighborhood proved to be a tipping point -- and a litmus test of allegiances -- in theongoing development of Chinatown. Some saw it as a hopeful symbol of the districtfinally catching up with a globally connected, 21st century city; others feared thebeginning of the end for independent business and local character. Against the short-lived protests of the grassroots Save Chinatown! coalition, international entrepreneursAloha Land and Water led a new wave of investment in the district.

Week by week, new ventures and ubiquitous chain stores could be found opening theirdoors to a throng of customers. Free shuttles for shoppers from Waikiki became acommon sight, and luxury lofts became the rage for a crop of young, urbanprofessionals. Old time landowners and traditional Chinatown residents leapt at theopportunities this presented, and vacant lots filled immediately.

Some in the arts community became concerned at the loss of character and uniquenessthat had been a powerful attractor for artists and other "creatives" on the island.Meanwhile, new zero-tolerance policies against prostitution, drug users, and homelesspersons had their effect -- complaints about these problems are now seldom heard, streetsare clean, and a recycling program has been instituted, receiving high praise among

environmentalists well beyond the neighborhood.

There is talk of re-naming the district, in pursuit of a fresh image, also to reflect the factthat now less than 5% of residents or business owners are of Chinese background (andless than 25% of Asian descent generally). This proposal remains controversial though,and its prospects are uncertain. What is certain is that the Chinatown of today would behardly recognizable to someone who knew it a decade ago.


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Illustrated Narrative: McChinatown

Honolulu's Chinatown is among the city's oldest and most iconic districts. It's a bastion ofsmall family-owned businesses, where so far no franchise stores or national restaurantchains have opened.

On Friday 5 October, the following suddenly appeared there:

Large posters announcing a new Starbucks moving into a large corner building that hasbeen unoccupied for years...

Design: Jesse Arneson Photo: Jake Dunagan

Signs for TGI Friday's (a US bar and restaurant franchise) opening soon on a property at

the southeast corner of Chinatown...

Design: Ryan Yamamoto Photo: Matthew Stits


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A banner inviting bids for luxury loft apartments, starting at $2.1 million, in one of thedistrict's most recognizable and well-loved buildings...

Design: Mark Guillermo / Photo: Stuart Candy Photo: Matthew Stits

That evening, members of a grassroots activist group gathered outside the supposedfuture Starbucks, calling on patrons of the area's monthly First Friday art walk to "SaveChinatown" from what appeared to be a stealthy corporate takeover by investmentconsortium Aloha Land and Water (investaloha.com). They distributed paraphernaliaincluding flyers ("Honolulu's Chinatown: The Next Waikiki?"), postcards, buttons -- andeven fortune cookies (e.g. "Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without"), and

they directed concerned parties to savechinatown.org [see appendix 4 for screenshots ofwebsites].

Postcard design: Mark Guillermo Photo: Matthew Stits


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Honolulu WeeklyBack Page, Wednesday 3 October / Photo: Stuart Candy


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Green Dragon ~02026

What might become of Chinatown in a world where China is the predominant

superpower?

The strange dance of U.S-China relations has taken many turns in recent years. Seekingstrategic advantage in renewable energy, for more than a decade the People's Republic ofChina has lent its prodigious industrial and diplomatic weight to the internationalmovement to control carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. This has brought itincreasing into conflict with the U.S, which, leveraging military power to protect itseconomic interests, has also become more vocal in supporting independence for Taiwanand Tibet.

But a whole new level of tension between the U.S. and China is rising over the leak of atop-secret memo from the office of the Chinese Vice Premier. The memo outlines

negotiations between China and several Hawaiian agitators, notably the radical"Sovereign Green" coalition -- a rising independence movement that rests its support baseon ecological rather than ethnic affiliation. It also refers to a long-term strategy forChina's role in Hawaiian affairs, including a potentially explosive proposal to backHawaiian independence from the U.S. Essentially, according to unnamed sources, thesovereignty of the Hawaiian Islands could be recognized internationally by China and itsallies, in exchange for their becoming a temporary protectorate of the PRC.

Whether an olive branch or a further provocation, China's proposal for an iconic "Statueof Harmony" in Honolulu Harbor is causing great excitement, especially in Chinatown --

which has for some time been a highly fashionable outpost for Chinese cultural products(from cooking competitions to immersive games). Chinatown has not only retained itsstatus as a perennially interesting, changing neighborhood, but it is also an importantlocal node of global power in a geopolitical climate tilted decisively in favor of the so-called "Green Dragon".


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Illustrated Narrative: Green Dragon

Design: Yumi Vong

The second phase of FoundFutures:Chinatownimagines an Earth-friendly China, twodecades hence. Those campaigning Hawai'i to become independent of the U.S. look tothe other side of the Pacific for support, and evidence of their new allegiance begins toappear in the streets...

Art: Yumi Vong / Photo: Stuart Candy Photo: Bram Goots

A powerful citizens' coalition behind the renewed Hawaiian sovereignty movementrallies its supporters around ecological commitments...


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Art: Yumi Vong / Text: Jake Dunagan

The "Sovereign Green Manifesto" reads as follows:

In Hawai'i, sovereignty without sustainability is meaningless,

yet sustainability without sovereignty is impossible.

Sovereign Green fights against the corrupt and

irresponsible governance of the islands and all its peoples.

The United States' illegal occupation, and destructive

military and environmental policies must be stopped.

Sovereign Green advocates independence for Hawai'i

so that current and future generations may live peacefully and happily.

Only with the ability to craft laws and policies

in accordance with the values and conditions of these islands

can we shape a nation that is righteous and responsible.

In reclaiming our sovereignty, we embrace our role as

caretakers of the land and stewards of our own evolution.

We welcome all races, ethnicities, and beliefs.

Stand with us!


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In a gesture recalling the French gift in 01886 of the Statue of Liberty to the UnitedStates, in 02026 the Chinese donate a giant "Statue of Harmony" to the people of Hawai'i.This monument to international friendship (towering over vessels arriving in HonoluluHarbor, with Chinatown in the background) features Queen Lili'uokalani, the lastHawaiian monarch, holding aloft a torch with Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-Sen, who

attended school in Hawai'i. They stand upon a huge granite platform bearing the word"harmony" in Chinese, Hawaiian, and (on the side hidden from view) English.

"The Statue of Harmony" by Yumi VongConcept: Jake Dunagan & Stuart Candy

From 13-15 October, a large framed drawing of this exciting gift was on display atvarious locations in and near Chinatown...

photos: Stuart Candy


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Already, souvenirs of the Statue of Harmony can be found in tourist shops...

Photo: Stuart Candy


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The Bird Cage ~02016

What if Chinatown were ground zero of a new influenza epidemic?

Chinatown has long been haunted by tragedy. In 01886 and again in 01900, it was

burned to the ground. When a deadly strain of influenza called H8N2 broke out in April02016, this tragedy in paradise was global news; but local authorities acted quickly.Aircraft were grounded and as Honolulu's "Hang Ten Flu" took hold, the National Guardimmediately quarantined Chinatown and systematically raided all residences andbusinesses in search of individuals exhibiting symptoms.

The rapid response of authorities, and establishment of military/medical checkpointsalong all highways across the island, meant that the crisis could be confined to O'ahu.Residents and visitors at risk of infection were relocated to mobile quarantine facilities inHonolulu or on the North Shore (several cruise liners were requisitioned for this purposeby the National Agency for Investigative Epidemiology, the newly established, disease-

oriented tactical response branch of FEMA). The ill were then shipped to more securefacilities on Moloka'i for treatment -- and, in one out of every three cases, burial.

The "Weeping Spring" of 02016 brought tourism and most other aspects of everyday lifeon O'ahu to a standstill. The origins of the virus remain controversial -- at first thought todue to low-quality imported poultry, the outbreak has reportedly been traced to a securitylapse at a university research facility on the island. Investigations are still underway.

During the tragedy, the community of Chinatown was frozen. A high proportion ofresidents lost family members, and the cessation of construction, which had occurred atfirst from necessity, was extended while residents debated next steps. However, eighteen

months later the citizenry has regrouped and, led by a newly elected, youthful Mayor C.Ballesteros, a renewed sense of shared purpose and identity is discernible. Thetemporary interruption in shipments and motorized traffic had the effect of heighteningawareness of Hawaii's isolation, and increased calls for self-reliance. Many residentshave begun cultivating their own food sources, and plans are afoot to turn a number ofChinatown streets into public gardens.


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Illustrated Narrative: The Bird Cage

On Tuesday, 16 October 02007, this bronze plaque appeared on the corner of Maunakeaand Pauahi Streets in Chinatown, Honolulu -- testimony to the resilient response of the

community to a hypothetical tragedy that would not occur for another ten years.

Photo: Stuart Candy

Chinatown has in its history been ravaged by the plague, quarantined, and burned to theground. In April 02016, the future rhymes with bygone times as bird flu rears its beady-eyed little head. Our distributed installation played out the scenario in reverse, from theinstallation of the memorial 18 months after the outbreak...

Photo: Bram Goots

Photo: Stuart Candy


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To the revival of entrepreneurial activity shortly after the epidemic...

"Dust to Dust" flyer: Matthew Jensen

"Jake Stuart" poster: Matthew Jensen

Photo: Stuart Candy

Photo: Bram Goots

Photo: Bram Goots


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Photo: Stuart Candy "Still Paradise": Matthew Jensen

To official notices posted by the National Agency for Investigative Epidemiology(N.A.I.E.) as the crisis was brought under control...

"Evacuation" poster: Matthew Jensen / Photo: Stuart Candy Photo: Bram Goots


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Photo: Stuart Candy "All Clear" poster: Matthew Jensen / Photo: Stuart Candy

To impromptu messages placed in the streets by ordinary people when the outbreak firstoccurred...

"Missing" installation design: Matthew Jensen / Photo: Stuart Candy Photo: Stuart Candy


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Dig Deeper {date unknown}

What kind of place is Chinatown if the world is transformed?

As futurists we help people consider what alternative futures are available to them at any

given time. This is a way of managing, but not eliminating, uncertainty. One way to dothis is by testing beliefs and drawing out assumptions about how change can happen.This process is as much an art as it is a science. No one can tell every story -- what wecan do is select a sample to serve as a basis for systematic, creative exploration. Thestories we tell are intended to be neither purely good nor purely bad. There are silver

linings in every cloud; both winners and losers in every scenario.

These generic images of the future can be seen as falling into four categories -- eachrepresenting a different shape of change. McChinatownis an example of a continuedgrowth scenario with a global, corporate flavor. Green Dragonsuggests a disciplinedsociety, the adopting of certain values and constraints-- Chinese and ecological, in this

case.

The Bird Cageis an instance of a dramatic interruption to business as usual, which wecall a collapse scenario.

Representations of these three themes are many and varied. But there is also a fourth typeof scenario -- transformation. These are stories in which society undergoes a great shift,not in the direction of a breakdown or collapse, but where there is some fundamentalalteration in underlying conditions -- and understanding -- whether brought about by hightechnology, a spiritual awakening, or a breakthrough discovery.

Dig Deeperis the name of our fourth Chinatown future -- transformation. Rather thanrevealing it here, we encourage you to look for the signs yourself they are already allaround (and below) you. Seeds of future changes are always contained in the present, ifyou know how to look. This is just the beginning of a conversation in which, we hope, allof us can begin to dig a bit deeper into the futures of Chinatown, Hawaii, and the world.Happy digging.


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Gallery Exhibition

Elements of our ambient foresight "exstallation" formed part of a gallery exhibition at theArts at Marks Garage called Alternative Urban Futures. It opened on Tuesday 23 Octoberand ran until Saturday 17 November 02007.

Photo: Jake Dunagan

Art and culture critic David Goldberg praised the FoundFuturesinstallation in hisNovember 4, 02007 Honolulu Advertiser review:

FoundFutures samples and repurposes the visual language that colonizes

us today. From recognizable branding strategies to government-styleposters, FoundFutures projects look at current political, ecological andsocioeconomic situations and projects them forward by 10 to 20 years.

"Birdcage," the story of the 2016 H8N2 or "Hang Ten Flu" flu epidemic inHawai'i, is the most thoroughly realized. FoundFutures, led by Universityof Hawai'i graduate students Jake Dunagan and Stuart Candy, craftedeverything from the government's quarantine zone maps to this-property-is-condemned posters, to the 9/11-style missing-persons fliers that citizenswould post in the wake of forced quarantines. The finishing touch is atourism poster for Maui (unscathed by the flu, how?) which proudly

declares that the island is "Still Paradise."

Typically cinema is the chosen medium for visualizing the future. Byinstalling elements of their projects in the urban fabric itself,FoundFutures turns Chinatown into a movie set of sorts, approaching thelevel of production design that goes into films like "Children of Men."


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Chinatown Futures Workshop

Time: Saturday, November 17, 02007, 12p-4pLocation: The Arts at Marks Garage

Facilitators:Stuart Candy, FoundFutures,and Hawaii Research Center for Futures StudiesJake Dunagan, FoundFutures,and Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies

Guest Speakers:William Chapman, Professor, UH-Manoa, American Studies, and Director, GraduateCertificate Program in Historic PreservationJim Dator, Professor, UH-Manoa, Political Science and Director, Hawaii Research Centerfor Futures Studies

Participants:Shanah Trevenna Seongwon Park Martin SchwabBronson Shimabukuro Steve Lohse Sally TaylorDeva Gatica Amy Brinkler Russell McGuireAngela Ellenwood Leo Campbell Ernie HuntJoDee Hunt Rich Richardson

Brief Overview

The culminating event of the FoundFutures:Chinatownproject was a free, public

workshop exploring Chinatowns past, present, and alternative futures. Having seededthe district with artifacts and images from theMcChinatown, Green Dragon, andBirdCagescenarios over the previous six weeks, the workshop built upon the public responseand passions generated by the ideas and the manner of their presentation. It provided anopportunity for more extended engagement and formal feedback for the scenarios. Overthe course of the afternoon, we guided participants through a series of stages to deepentheir understanding of historical changes that have taken place, to consider currentproblems and opportunities, and to find ways to imagine and create preferred futures forthe neighborhood.

Invitations were made directly to residents and stakeholders throughout Chinatown, and

several notices appeared in local newspapers and on the web, but the workshop was notas demographically representative of the neighborhood as we would have liked. Theconclusions and inferences drawn from workshop should be judged in that context.However, in our overall assessment, we have tried to incorporate feedback from thebroader constituency in the neighborhood that we have spoken with over the course of theproject, especially Asian and Chinese merchants, local business owners, and long-timeresidents.


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Narrative and Analysis

We began with an introduction to the workshop and had participants introducethemselves and present one word that describes, evokes, or symbolizes Chinatown forthem. Foreshadowing themes that would recur throughout the workshop, the key

metonyms for Chinatown involved its historic buildings, food, people, and especially itseclecticism [see appendix 5].

In the structure of our workshops, before the futures comes the past. Although futuresworkshop implies a focus on tomorrow, in order to look ahead more effectively, onemust understand yesterdayin this case, Chinatowns historical and cultural context, andthe changes that have occurred over the years. Dr. William Chapman, Director of theGraduate Certificate in Historic Preservation at UH-Manoa, presented an historicaloverview of the district from pre-contact to the near present, with a focus on changes tothe landscape and the built environment. As could be seen from this review, what we callChinatown has undergone massive change, especially in the last 100+ years. It was

striking to note, that before European contact, this deep water harbor was useless toNative Hawaiians and the area little occupied. But, it has become a particularly saturatedand useful location in modern times. As Chinatown has changed over the years, in eachera there have been claims to preserving its particular authenticity, but this concept is alsoconstantly evolving. Might a Chinatown of the future, even if unrecognizable to those ofus in the present, still make claims to be the real and true Chinatown?

Next, Jim Dator led the group through a discussion of the Chinatowns present. Mostpeople think about the future with whatever is occupying our minds today, what Datorcalls the crackpot realism of the present. We have found that alternative futures cannotbe imagined if we do not understand and fully discuss todays problems, as well as what

should be preserved from the present into the future. We began by dividing the plenaryinto three groups of four participants. We then asked each group to list things abouttodays Chinatown (with no specification as to the dimension of the issue) that theywould like to change, and things they like and would like to preserve.

The responses from the three groups were quite similar [see appendix 5].

The most common complaints about Chinatown were:

Transportation issues (lack of adequate parking, need for alternative public

transportation options).

Policing (have become overzealous and harassing, i.e. jaywalking, training ofrookies in Chinatown is annoying, inability to get to know local officers). Property and Housing (unfair property tax structure, disincentives for renovations,

lack of residential options, homelessness). Land use and space (need better access to waterfront, more outdoor seating/green

space). Lifestyle and quality of life (more nightlife AND more daylife, reduce noise and

air pollution, more visitor friendly).


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The most commonly mentioned aspects of Chinatown to preserve were:

Distinctiveness (it is NOT Waikiki, that Chinatown atmosphere and character,

its edginess and grittiness, Mom and Pop and locally owned businesses, no

chain stores). Diversity (economic, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, architectural). Entertainment (great restaurants, clubs, First Friday, the arts, cultural festivals). Businesses (Maunakea Market, Lei Stands) Zoning and Boundaries (no encroachment from other area, no new high-rises,

protect historic buildings). Transportation (keep Hotel St. buses-only)

Alternative Futures

The core activity of a futures workshop is to have participants do a bit of timetraveling, to live in an alternative future for a short time and then discuss this newworld with their fellow travelers and then with the entire workshop group.

The alternative futures immersion in this case involved people selecting unmarkedenvelopes which contained one of three scenarios, about one page long each. Thediscussion groups formed around the scenarios selected, and here, as is typically the casein such workshops, the process resulted in people becoming "invested" in whicheverfuture they happen to find themselves. This is not to say that they found it an optimal oreven desirable future (none of the three stories elicited enthusiastic, positive responses),but they were able:

(a) to see how a described scenario, which at first may appear outlandish, could come topass given certain conditions,(b) to develop coping strategies as "residents" within their given future, and(c) to consider how decisions taken today may help pursue or avoid, respectively, liked ordisliked aspects of the scenario.

This last point highlights the usefulness of scenarios for practically informing present-daydecision-making. For example, it is worth noting that, although there were aspects of theMcChinatownscenario that participants liked (Q.5a) they overall found it undesirable(Q.4) and yet highly probable (Q.3). A structured futures approach to engaging a

community in political discussion readily generates important policy-relevant insightssuch as this. [see Appendix 5 for full exercise instructions and transcribed groupresponses].

Transformation and Preferred Futures

In the final section of the workshop, we asked participants to spend an extended period oftime in quiet contemplation of Chinatown in 25 years. Each participant chose a guiding


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metaphor of transformation (caterpillar into butterfly, water into ice or steam, phoenixrising from the ashes, etc) and imaged flying over the area around them. What has thisplace become? What does it look like? Who are the people (if any) inhabiting this area?Participants then broke into small groups and discussed their visions with each other, andhow their chosen metaphor guided and was appropriate for a transformed Chinatown.

Finally, each person wrote a short note to the future generations of the area that containedtheir preferred vision for Chinatown. The manner of delivery of these messages wasexplained to the participants and will be the final act of this project.


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Conclusions

The serious contemplation of alternative futures forces individuals and groups to re-evaluate their position in the contingent space of possibility. If futures work is to beeffective, it must make critical issues and drivers of change visible and, most importantly,

mobilize decision-makers at all levels to act with foresight.

Foundfutures:Chinatownwas intended to raise sensitive issues within the communitythrough the means of embodied artifacts and ambient simulations of alternative futureChinatowns in order to provide a compelling platform for community engagement andformal discussion of preferred futures for the district.

As always in a diverse community, finding a single preferred future is impossible andresponses to our scenarios were mixed. Many people are frightened of the loss ofcharacter by way of corporatization and gentrification, especially the increasing pricesqueeze on artists, workers, and long-time residents. There is a strong sentiment of

preservation of culture, language, and the built environment (as it is seen today), but thisis also contrasted by those who see Chinatown as an inherently changing place that isconstantly re-inventing itself and should not be turned into a cultural and architecturalmuseum. Some have been frustrated with the prevalence of crime and drug abuse on thestreets, while others are now viewing the Police as an overbearing and unnecessarynuisance.

The multitude diverging visions for Chinatown must be confronted directly and honestly.The project hoped to catalyze this discussion. The passionate reactions and involvementweve encountered during the course of the project is evidence to the importance ofChinatown to Honolulu and Hawaii at large, and to the commitment necessary by

residents and stakeholders to creating the kind of future most in the neighborhood wouldwelcome.

We have been honored to work so extensively in Chinatown and with the people whomake it the most vibrant and interesting place on the island, and hope that we have madesome small positive contribution to its futures.


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Appendix 1: Original proposal draft

July 16, 02007

Art is a future-oriented activity. At its best, it opens up new ways of perceiving the past,new ways of looking at the world today, and new ways of conceiving possible futures.The Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies (HRCFS) and The ARTS at MarksGarage have joined together to initiate a unique series of activities to draw attention toand deepen our understanding of the challenges and opportunities the future holds bothnear and far.

The project will consist of three progressive stages. Stage 1 will begin with a call forartists, designers, futurists and members of the Chinatown community to create anddistribute around the neighborhood a series of artifacts from the future. These artifactswill embody (in varying media, content, dimension, and format) aspects and implications

from a wide range of possible futures for the area and beyond. Posters warning againstthought surveillance in the area, a monument to those lost in the Avian flu epidemic of2029, or notices of the next ahupuaa council meeting are just some of the kinds ofartifacts that might be seen around town. Building upon the lessons from earlier projectsconducted by the HRCFS, these artifacts will interject possible futures into the taken-for-granted environs of the present. The anachronistic and provocative nature of the artifactswill shake viewers from habitualized patterns of thought and selective attention whichblind us to the possible and distort our role in creating better futures. Although not to beannounced publicly, the project will launch on Friday September 7 (First Friday), to befollowed by another series of artifacts to be distributed on Friday October 5. Theunexpected appearance of these artifacts are a major factor in their effect and potential

success. This portion of the initiative might be called an experiment infuture-shocktherapy.

And any good therapy requires opportunity for feedback and discussion. There will beseveral alternative venues for follow-up conversations and action. Each of the artifactswill lead viewers to a website where they have the opportunity to talk about theirreactions to the pieces and to debate the issues generated with other viewer/participants.Stage 2 and 3 offer further opportunities for face-to-face interaction and discussion.

Building on the momentum from Stage 1, Stage 2 of the project will bring all of thepreviously distributed artifacts (and additional commissioned work) together at the ARTS

at Marks Garage for a gallery show organized around images of alternative urbanfutures for Chinatown, Honolulu, and the region. Opening on October 23, 02007, theshow will allow for a condensed and focused appraisal of the themes generated in theworks by media, critics, and the larger community. It will also be the foundation andlaunch-pad for Stage 3 of the project.

Following the gallery show, the HRCFS will lead a series of workshops with a widecross-section of the Chinatown and surrounding community. These workshops will


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immerse participants in alternative futures, going beyond the abstract to allow them tounderstand change at a deep and emotional level. Business leaders, decision-makers,residents, and others with a stake and responsibility for the futures of the area will beinvited to participate in these innovative workshops designed to explore the social,environmental, technological, and political trends and forces that will impact the

community, to envision preferred futures within this range of possibility, and to plan theirdecisions and actions according to this vision.

It is our goal that the successive stages of the project will stimulate wide participation inthe futures conversation, garner significant media and community attention, and lead amovement toward greater sense of responsibility and involvement in the creation ofpreferred futures. The issues and challenges we face are not going to go away. Artists,scholars, and leaders of every stripe must find ways to engage people in effectiveforesight, to open our eyes to alternative futures. Foresight must be designed into thefabric of our institutions and our environment; it should be ambient and ubiquitous. Thisproject seeks to show one way this can be done and encourage others to find new and

better ways.

Proposed Timeline of Major Events:

Stage 1Distribution of artifactsSeries 1: Friday, September 7, 02007 (First Friday)Series 2: Friday, October 5, 02007 (First Friday)

Stage 2Gallery Show (Images of Alternative Urban Futures)Opening: October 23, 02007 The ARTS at Marks Garage

Stage 3Futures WorkshopsSuccessive Saturdays in October, November, and December, 02007. Conductedby the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies at The ARTS at MarksGarage.


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Appendix 2: Alternative Urban Futures Exhibition-- Artist Statement

FoundFutures injects futures into the present. It is a multimedia, collaborative project

based on the idea that a wider range of possible futures should be made visible andthinkable to people in their everyday lives. The project was created and is led by two

doctoral candidates in political science at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, who arealso futures researchers at the Hawai'i Research Center for Futures Studies (HRCFS). We

aim to provoke thought, conversation, and action by creating and distributing art,artifacts, images, performances and other media that embody possible worlds to come.

Making alternative futures tangible is an antidote to the singular, colonized future we aregiven by mass media, consumer culture, and an intrinsically shortsighted political system.We want participants to be directly confronted with long-range choices, to feel just howdifferent their various futures could be from the present, and from each other. We callthis future-shock therapy. Our aim is not to push people towards particular conclusions,but simply to invite deeper engagement with the field of possibilities.

This side of the display shows elements from an earlier foray into experiential scenarios,for "Hawaii 2050", a statewide discussion which launched in August 02006. These piecessuggest aspects of a high-tech future Hawai'i (artwork by Sky Kiyabu and Steve Kiyabu).Next, in May 02007, we sent to leaders across the community four postcards fromalternative versions of Hawai'i in 02036, on consecutive days and with no return address(designed by Yumi Vong).

On the other side of this panel are elements from four immersive futures designed for ourfirst foray into community and street art FoundFutures : Chinatown. The first future(McChinatown) was staged for the First Friday art event on October 5. Two others have

been displayed since (Green Dragon and The Bird Cage). One will continue beyond thisshow (Dig Deeper). If you are interested in exploring the futures of Chinatown andHawaii beyond the urgent, immediate concerns of today, please consider attending ourChinatown Futures Workshop on 17 November (RSVP to [email protected]). Todiscuss futures thinking, or specific issues raised by this distributed installation, don'thesitate to contact us.

Stuart Candy & Jake Dunagan, Directors, FoundFutures:Chinatown22 October 02007


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Appendix 3: Credits and Acknowledgements

FoundFutures:Chinatown

Concept, scenarios and direction by Stuart Candy & Jake Dunagan

McCHINATOWN

Designers:

Jesse Arneson Mark Guillermo Ryan Yamamoto

Installation assistance:Duk Bu Brady Fern JoDee and Ernie HuntPegge Hopper Rich Richardson Roy VentersMelanie Yang

Protesters:Guen Montgomery (lead) Jason Adams Christina HoeBianca Isaki Rohan Kalyan John Maus

Josh Pryor Lorenzo Rinelli Matthew Stits

GREEN DRAGON

Designer:

Yumi Vong

Additional scenario development:Aaron Rosa

Cultural advisors:

Roger Ames Matthew McDonald

Translations:Chien-Yuan Chen Tianyuan Huang

Installation assistance:

Brady Fern Charles Wong


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THE BIRD CAGE

Designer:Matthew Jensen

Additional artwork:The Great Bendango Kristin Dennis Nathan Verrill

Installation assistance:Oren Schlieman & Fran Butera Tim BradenRichard Lum, Worldwide Travel Maya van LeemputBram Goots Matthew Jensen

Production assistance:Seong Won Park

Special thanks toM.P. Lei Shop, providers of leis for "Hang Ten flu" memorial plaque

This project would not have been possible without the support of the followingindividuals:

Erik Takeshita Wiwik Bunjamin-Mau Rich Richardsonat The Arts at Mark's Garage

Matthew Jensen Yumi Vong

Carolyn Borges, Tom Terrific's Printers, Manoa

Jim Dator, Director, Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies

The contribution of the following is also much appreciated:

Steve Kiyabu Sky Kiyabu Ed Korybski

Chetan Mangat Bernard Uy

Photography by:

Stuart Candy Jake Dunagan Bram GootsMatthew Stits Yumi Vong

DIG DEEPER

All our friends from future generations.


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Appendix 4: Websites (Save Chinatown! and Aloha Land & Water)


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Appendix 5: Direct participant responses

A. One word that describes or evokes Chinatown for you:-food -walkable -potpourri

-home -old buildings -landowner-home -change -hip-historical

B. What would you like to change about Chinatown?

Tax reform

-property taxsame for high rises and non high-rises, unfair-taxes collected in Chinatown should be used in Chinatown

Transportation and parking

- need 2 hour meters

-easier payment options, lower cost-MORE parking-local trolleys, more public transport options-public bicycles (cf. Amsterdam, Portland)-urban core car tax (cf. London, New York)

Policing and crime-too many officers, overbearing, intimidating, harassing-used as training groundtrain your rookie cops elsewhere-too much turnover, local community doesnt get to know officers-we used to worry about the criminals, now we worry about the police

Housing

-encourage residential living-more options-incentives for owners to renovate-mitigate homelessness, better services for homeless-green and sustainable buildings

Urban space and place (Lifestyle and environment)-more nightlife, music, arts, food-more daylifemarkets, food-better access to the waterfront (cleanest natural port in the U.S.!)-more outdoor seating, parks-reduce noise and air pollution

-more visitor friendly organizing community forum

C. What would you like to preserve for the future in Chinatown? What do you like aboutChinatown?

Neighborhood street life, character, atmosphere


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Distinctiveness, it is NOT Waikiki Edginess, grittiness Markets Lei Stands Great food and restaurants

Current green space, parks Chinatown Gateway Park, Aala skate park Building code and height zoning (no new high-rises) Historic Buildings Current boundaries (no encroachment from other parts of town) Non-corporate (local) development Mixed use zoning First Fridays, art scene Chinese new year and cultural events Cultural, ethnic, and economic diversity mom and pop stores

Hotel Street as a bus-only way


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Appendix 6: Alternative Futures ExerciseInstructions and responses from each group

Welcome to the futures!

Whatever you may initially feel about the future into which you have been so suddenly

placed, please suspend your disbelief! You have no more control over your being in thisfuture than you had over when and where you were born. This is your life. Love it,because you can't leave it.

For the next few minutes, make the best of the future you find yourself in, just as youobviously do in the present. Don't argue over whether you think it will happen asdescribed or not, or whether you like it or not. Please just accept it, and try to respondpositively (according to whatever you think is "the best you can do") to the world inwhich you find yourself. Don't dwell on the "negative" aspects except to understandthem, and to develop a "positive" response to them. It just doesn't get any better than this!

Your task is to determine, as a group, what kind of place Chinatown would be if thefuture were to unfold as described in your scenario. Spend about five minutes on

each of the following five questions.

1a. Who would live in Chinatown (race, age, income, etc)?

McChinatown: younger, wealthy, fashionable, professional, hipster (SoHo-ish). NewYork/ Tokyo-style micro-sized apartments, underground (literally)Shanghai Tunnels,Caves, cave clubs.

The Bird Cage: A post-collapse scenariopeople are getting back on their feet and have

the opportunity to re-build. Chinatown is re-born as a vibrant gathering place, a local hub,a market center for a large section of Oahu. Have faith in the blossoming dynamic ofhuman activity. Residents, although the population is much lower than 02007, aremostly those running and working locally in the markets and their associated servicesbuilders, craftsmen, and farmers, especially.

Ora thriving quarantined black-market-based economy. Deep psychological scars?

Green Dragon: Educated, highly globally aware, mostly euro/white. Young, passionateresidents gravitating toward the emerging green movement in Hawaii and in Chinatown.

1b. Who would work in Chinatown and what kind of jobs would they have (if any)?

McChinatown: service sector jobs servicing high-end residents, retail, food service (fast-food).

The Bird Cage: Farmers, service-sector driven by the large market. Laborers, craftsmen,and farmers.


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Green Dragon:Social entrepreneur-types, green activists. But also, other service-sectorjobs.

1c. Who would visit Chinatown, why would they come, and what would they do?

McChinatown: tourists (similar to Waikiki), tourist-oriented shopping, dining.

The Bird Cage: those from around Oahu who come to utilize the central location andthriving markets in Chinatown.

Green Dragon: Politically-motivated activists, those coming to the urban core for arts,entertainment, excitement.

2. What would Chinatowns reputation be, in comparison to the rest of Honolulu, Oahu,and Hawaii? How would that affect the area?

McChinatown: Disney-fied version of Chinatown geared toward tourists, greatlydiminished cultural and arts scene, cultural fetishism. Urban, but vegas-like scene,exotic, chic, business, green, hip, globalized, sanitized. Evolving into increased valuationof historical significance.

The Bird Cage: Chinatowns reputation is restored as it rises from its tragedy, a place ofre-birth. Dynamic, green.

Green Dragon: Increasingly viewed as a green urban center, gains prestige amonginternational environmental movements. Green Snobbery?

Ambiguous or conflicting views because linked to China and the rising influence ofChina.

3. How probable (likely to actually occur) is the future described in your scenario?

McChinatown: very likely, high probability. Many forces pushing toward this future.

The Bird Cage: mixed responsesdiffering opinions. Some thought an avian fluoutbreak was quite possible, but that the heavy-handed response was not. Others, thatboth the outbreak and quarantine were certainly possible, but not highly likely.

Green Dragon: Quite probable, considering the perceived desire of China to increase itssphere of influence and compete with the U.S. in international affairs.

4. How preferable is the future described in your scenario? (That is, how close is it toyour own preferred future?)

McChinatown:not preferable to the group.


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The Bird Cage: The initial tragedy of the hang-ten flu outbreak and quarantine werenot preferable, but the ability to build and re-imagine a new Chinatown and rise from theashes was somewhat welcomed.

Green Dragon: Not preferable, because of the potential for rising tensions and globalconflict in the wake of these developments. What is Chinas motivation for goinggreen?

5. What actions could be taken today:a. to help make what you liked about the future happen?

McChinatown: Likedfood markets, pedestrian playground, arts. To help this,recommended a heightened preservation awareness and policies, emphasize the arts as adefining characteristic.

The Bird Cage: Found that a healthy community is a flexible and resilient one. So, thesame things done to recover quickly from a disaster could be done ahead of time tomitigate a disaster. So, encouraging and preserving the diversity of Chinatown isimportant.

Green Dragon: Likedthe movement toward sustainability and Hawaiis new role as notjust a politico-military strategic location, but an politico-environmental strategic location.A gateway to a better global environment. To help make this happenpromote socio-economic diversity and progressive environmental policies, and to welcome greenChinese investment in Hawaii.

b. to help prevent what you did not like from happening?

McChinatown:Dislikedchain stores, loss of character, touristy-feel. To prevent this,recommended strong political organization, voice, and action of residents and business-owners to shape Chinatown policies and decision-making; anti-chain store ordinance; artsgrants and incentives; protective regulations to maintain unique and locally-runbusinesses.

The Bird Cage:preventative measures for avian flu outbreaks, raising awareness ofpublic health procedures and recommendations, and informational campaigns forresidents. Prevent government overreactionhave clear policies in place.

Green Dragon: Want to avoid a U.S.-China conflict over Hawaii. To prevent thisopena diplomatic dialogue between the States over environmental policies, internationalrelations, and Taiwan/Tibet/Hawaii issues.

dunagan and candy 2007 - foundfutures: chinatown

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