Case Study

Envision La’ie—a long‑range community planning effort led by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints—sought to advance proposed infrastructure improvements in the Ko’olau Loa region. As the City and County of Honolulu evaluated the Ko’olau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP), Envision La’ie needed a clear understanding of how local residents perceived the plan, how aware they were of its components, and what they believed responsible growth should look like. Heart+Mind Strategies was engaged to uncover community sentiment, illuminate values driving residents’ opinions, and identify the conditions that could build trust and support for future development.

We conducted a week‑long, mixed‑mode survey—part telephone and part online—among 832 O‘ahu residents, including an oversample of 157 residents from the Ko’olau Loa district to ensure strong representation. This approach allowed us to capture both broad island‑wide perspectives and the deeper, localized attitudes of those directly impacted by the KSCP. The design provided a robust understanding of awareness, perceptions of land‑use strategies, and expectations around growth, housing, jobs, and the region’s natural character.