here's probably no area of the City and County of Ho-nolulu that has garnered more public attention than Chinatown, with the possible exception of Waikiki.

Located adjacent to downtown Honolulu's business district, Chinatown is more than just a reminder of Ho-nolulu's colorful past. It is a cultural and economic treasure recognized as unique across the country and the Pacific.

More importantly, it has the potential to be an even greater magnet for working, living and playing. We envision a Chinatown where families and visitors will enjoy shopping, dining, arts and cultural events 18 hours a day.

That is why I have made the revitalization of Chinatown a priority of my administration. I believe the city should help Chinatown in realizing its full potential — without having it lose any of the character and uniqueness that make it so special.

We've already enjoyed some progress.

As a city councilman, I introduced resolutions to launch an arts program in Chinatown, a program that has since evolved into the successful ARTS at Marks Garage "First Friday" events. We can accelerate our efforts to promote culture and the arts, while providing an opportunity for business and commerce to thrive. We must tap the cultural vitality of Chinatown and downtown Honolulu, build on existing venues, and invite the contributions of Southeast Asian and other newcomers to this mix to bolster a cultural and arts renaissance in the heart of Honolulu.

In its shadows, one can see more and more high-rise condominiums being built. We have to be forward-thinking. The people who will one day populate these condos will be looking to Chinatown to provide them with the restaurants, shops, galleries and theaters that add to the quality of life for residents of, and visitors to, great cities such as ours.

Over the past decade, we've initiated many improvements to beautify the area. The city's current priorities focus on providing essential services such as public safety, parking and sanitation. A new initiative is "Park Safe," a multi-agency effort that will address the need for safe and available parking in Chinatown.

At the Chinatown Gateway Park, some innovative construction work enabled the city to complete $550,000 worth of repairs for just $85,000. We also formed a public-private partnership with the Hawai'i Theatre Center, Indigo restaurant and the Plumbers and Fitters Union to maintain the park and save money for taxpayers.

Across the park is the city-sponsored Small Business Resource Center, a cornerstone of Chinatown that provides much-needed training and resources for our small businesses, the backbone of our economy.

And last year also marked the dedication of the Smith-Beretania Park, something that residents have long desired and we were happy to support.

By encouraging public-private partnerships, we also hope to make it easier for the private sector and the emerging art communities of Chinatown to contribute to its revitalization. An example of our public-private partnerships is the securing of a Ford Foundation grant for the Hawai'i Arts Alliance.

Those funds and support from local businesses will enable us to join the nationally recognized Arts Alliance in providing incentive awards to businesses, individuals and organizations for improvements that promote positive change in Chinatown and the emerging arts district.

This year, the city encouraged the three largest organizations in Chinatown to sponsor a coordinated Chinese new year celebration for the first time. We are now working with the Honolulu Culture and Arts District to develop a public-private partnership for a facade restoration project along Hotel Street.

This is what makes Chinatown so exciting. Chinatown is still evolving and changing. As it has done in the past, the community continues to incorporate a rich mixture of culture, people and activities, while maintaining a strong sense of identity. As a result, it bustles with vitality and activity.

Chinatown residents, business owners and entrepreneurs, government and community leaders, and anyone with a love for this historic district will gather on June 22, at the Hawai'i Theatre, to chart the future of this vibrant, exciting hub of commerce and living.

This first-ever Chinatown Summit, hosted by the city, is a critical step in our efforts to stimulate and seek ideas on how we can continue Chinatown's revitalization. Our Office of Economic Development is coordinating the summit and working with various city agencies to identify projects and activities pegged to this event.

This summit will bring people together to find workable solutions to existing issues and create a blueprint for a new, emerging Chinatown community with a major focus on culture and the arts. So come and participate in this exciting venture as we work on strategies and programs to take Honolulu's Chinatown well into the 21st century.

Mufi Hannemann is mayor of Honolulu. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.