Preservation Resource Center Blog Series No. 1
Last week Historic Hawai‘i Foundation attended the Hawai‘i Congress of Planning Officials Conference, a yearly meeting of public and private planners and associated professionals. Held at the Sheraton Maui Kā‘anapali, this year’s conference focused on the theme of SHIFT – Shaping Hawai‘i for Tomorrow. Who better to analyze this topic than Hawai‘i’s planners?
As preservationists, we know that Shaping Hawaii for Tomorrow starts with looking at the past; so we chose to participate in the walking tour of Lahaina Historic District on the first day of the conference. Annalise Kehler and Erin Wade of Maui County Planning Department organized the tour which was led by Theo Morrison, Executive Director of Lahaina Restoration Foundation. This was an all-day insider’s tour of the preservation work happening in Lahaina. Starting with the Wo Hing Museum, along Front Street to the Kings Taro Patch, through the Baldwin Home, and up to Hale Paahao, the old prison, we learned about the Hawaiian, Missionary, and Whaling history of this significant town. We then made our way down to the harbor, seeing the Old Lahaina Courthouse and park along the harbor, the former site of Kamehameha’s Brick House. While enjoying lunch, Lahaina Restoration Foundation filled us in on plans to rejuvenate the harbor access area while providing interpretation for visitors and locals on the history of the area.
The walking tour provided a foundation to begin the conference which consisted of plenary and breakout sessions. Experts from across the islands and the mainland shared their insights and experiences of planning for Hawai‘i’s future. A main theme of the entire conference consisted of ways that people were planning in response to larger factors such as climate change and post-recession economy. The benefits of working collaboratively across disciplines and through public and private partnerships were repeated throughout a number of sessions including “Creating Real Places for Real People” focused on re-branding and re-envisioning places like Wailuku and Waikīkī and “Making the Most of Mandatory Community Engagement” which focused on community input informing private and public projects.
Creating infrastructure and policies that support the post-recession economy defined by small entrepreneur projects such as pop-up stores, food trucks, and locally sourced restaurants and breweries, as well 
as use of transportation alternatives served as the core message of a number of presentations. Bill Holsinger-Robinson from the Understanding Group discussed how these ideas are being implemented in Grand Rapids Michigan, and planners from Maui and Kaua‘i discussed how these principles are informing street design in Hawai’i in the session “Great Streets – the Backbone of Great Communities”.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s session “Preserving Historic Treasures Facing New Environmental Realities” built on the core theme of SHIFT. Featuring Doug Mayne of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Stanton Enomoto of National Park Service, and Nick Belluzzo of State Historic Preservation Division, panelists discussed climate change impacts to cultural resources in Hawai’i and strategies to protect and preserve our cultural resources for future generation despite increased climate threats.
The conference ended with final presentations stressing the importance of collaboration and foresight. Attendees left with new inspiration and guidance for planning infrastructure and implementing policies that support a sustainable future. We are looking forward to next year’s conference and want to thank County of Maui Department of Planning for such a wonderful conference!
- Hawai‘i Congress of Planning Officials Conference 2015 will be held on O‘ahu. You can check out this year’s website to learn more about the conference: http://hcpomaui2014.squarespace.com/
- Want to Learn More about these types of preservation issues? Check out our Online Resource Library: https://historichawaii.org/resource-center-2/library/
- Interested in Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s Educational and Public Outreach Programs? Check out our Preservation Resource Center Website: https://historichawaii.org/resource-center-2/aboutresource/