On Friday, Feb. 20, Academy students gathered to reimagine the future of transportation in Hawai‘i through an interactive workshop titled “The 15-Minute City,” led by Taino Stanbro ’28.
The workshop was part of Stanbro’s Sustainability Fellowship challenge project, a yearlong program that prepares fellows for summer internships. He was inspired to bring the activity to Academy students after participating in a similar session during the Fellowship’s first summer with Hawaiian Electric’s Director of Electrification of Transportation, Aki Marceau, and the County Department of Transportation Services Director, Jon Nouchi.
The activity challenged students to design a city where residents could travel from one corner to another in 15 minutes or less – without producing greenhouse gas emissions. Working in small groups, students were tasked with creating communities that incorporated at least four different types of sustainable transportation while considering infrastructure, emergency response, funding sources and local needs.
Stanbro opened the session by sharing facts about the growing number of electric vehicles on the road and posed a central question: What are alternatives to driving that are better for the planet? Students explored solutions such as biking, walking, using public transportation and transitioning to electric vehicles.
Ideas quickly took shape. One group proposed electric trains running along main roads, supported by EV buses and neighborhood bike networks. They envisioned solar panels powering the entire city and charging stations at parks and homes, funded in part by redirecting money from gas infrastructure to renewable energy. Another group designed a bus rapid transit system with dedicated lanes and incentives like free public transportation to discourage gas-powered vehicles. A third team incorporated e-bikes, scooters at bus stops, electric handi-vans for kūpuna and even energy-generating sidewalk tiles to help offset electricity costs.
Across all proposals, common themes emerged: expanded public transit, accessible bike options, abundant EV charging stations and a shift toward solar energy.
After each group presented, Stanbro asked students to reflect on one change they could make in their own lives. Responses ranged from biking to the beach instead of driving and walking more often, to carpooling with siblings and using the bus more frequently.
The workshop encouraged students not only to imagine sustainable cities of the future, but also to consider how everyday choices can make Hawai‘i’s communities cleaner, healthier and more connected – one commute at a time.