M.U.R.P. - Urban and Regional Planning

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/2170

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Mismatch of walkability and walking behavior: What are the contributions of zoning and poi clustering on it?
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2025) Liu, Dingyi; Shen, Suwan; Urban & Regional Planning
Walkability has become increasingly popular in urban planning due to its environmental, social, and health benefits. Surveys show a rising preference for easily accessible amenities, particularly among younger generations, prompting more communities to invest in walkable environments. However, many cities in the U.S. struggle to implement effective walkable infrastructure, largely due to traditional zoning practices that favor automobile transportation. Moreover, the complex relationship between urban form and walking behavior suggests that high walkability does not always equate to high walking rates, indicating a need for further exploration of this dynamic.This thesis examines the discrepancies between walkability and walking behavior in Honolulu, Hawaii, from the perspectives of zoning and Point-of-Interest (POI) clustering. Utilizing POI and sidewalk data, this thesis developed a walkability index for Honolulu and analyzed walking percentages using privacy-preserving visitor data from Spectus over three months. The analysis identified areas with low walkability yet high walking behavior and vice versa, mapping these findings against zoning maps. The study reveals that mismatches in walkability and walking behavior can occur across various zoning types including residential, agricultural, and even business zones, with residential zones showing the most significant discrepancies. The study further investigated the impact of POI clustering on walking behaviors. In general, most high POI diversity areas tend to attract more foot traffic, while some high walking percentage areas were surprisingly found in low POI areas. However, some areas with high diversity but low foot traffic, and areas with low diversity but high foot traffic were also identified. This research advocates adjustments in conventional zoning practices as well as diverse POI types to enhance walkability and suggests integrating strategic POI clustering to foster vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environments. By addressing both zoning and POI distribution, urban areas can potentially increase foot traffic, thereby enhancing the walkability of neighborhoods.
Keep Country Country: Urbanormativity and Implications for Planning in Rural Spaces
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2024) Temple, Joel; Flachsbart, Peter; Urban & Regional Planning
Within both urban and rural studies, many geographers identify a common theme of gentrification as, “a change in the social composition of an area with members of a middle-class group replacing working-class residents'' (Phillips, 1993). Additionally, the drivers of urban and rural gentrification are essentially the same, however, the determination of identifying ‘undercapitalized’ ground rents in urban and rural areas differs (Darling, 2005). The ideology of urbanormativity permeates our cultural landscape and has influenced the way planners and policymakers work in rural communities. This has inadvertently facilitated the widespread gentrification of gateway and amenity-rich regions. While planning has contributed to the current state of rural gentrification, it is also uniquely poised to empower individuals and communities and ameliorate this very phenomenon. Using a mixed methods approach I consider the case of the Flathead Valley in Montana and analyze these drivers and impacts of gentrification. My findings suggest that residents and planners alike find planning ill-equipped to combat gentrification. My research also suggests that urbanormativity is present in these communities and influences community relationships as well as the ways that planners approach their work. I identify tools that can be utilized to address gentrification and build capabilities in communities and individuals alike. These solutions span land use and housing interventions, planning curriculum itself, and community-based participatory planning methods.
AN EVALUATION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY APPROACH: A CASE STUDY IN WEST KAUA’I, HAWAI’I
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2021) Summers, Alisha K.; Garboden, Philip; Urban & Regional Planning
Low-lying coastal regions are vulnerable to the impacts of present and future hazards associated with climate change. The Hawaiian islands are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to several existing elements: high coastal exposure, sensitive coastal infrastructures and ecosystems, geographic isolation and dependence on imported goods. Given these conditions, the County of Kaua’i, Hawaiʻi adopted a 2035 General Plan in 2018, which explicitly called for integrating climate change risks into future land use, development, and infrastructure planning up to the year 2035. Following the adoption of the 2035 General Plan, the County updated the community plan of West Kauaʻi in 2020. In response, the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program and Department of Urban and Regional Planning in collaboration with the County of Kauaʻi worked with west side Kauaʻi community members to assess vulnerabilities from sea level rise and generate adaptation recommendations. The West Kauaʻi Community Vulnerability Assessment (WKCVA) involved seven community meetings, which utilized a decision support tool called the Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS). VCAPS is a decision support tool that was developed to explicitly support planning by local decision makers involved in vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation planning. Given that the WKCVA was the first detailed climate change vulnerability assessment that was conducted on the island of Kauaʻi on a community level, this thesis assesses the WKCVA’s process. To do so, I utilized a mixed methods approach, in which quantitative and qualitative data was collected from the following data instruments: 1) online surveys; 2) a document analysis between the West Kauaʻi Community Vulnerability Assessment Final Report and the newly updated West Kauaʻi Community Plan; and 3) in-depth interviews. The assessment found that the WKCVA was well-liked amongst majority of the participants, though there were more mixed attitudes regarding the utilization of the VCAPS tool. Results also suggest that the WKCVA promoted the the creation of new relationships, the learning of new information on an individual and group level, and the garnering of detailed risks facing West Kauaʻi and generating detailed adaptation actions. While there is limited evidence in the WKCVA process resulting in the changing of perspectives, survey results and interviews suggest a convergence of some perspectives and the WKCVA being the first step in developing a shared understanding of the climate science and risks. The document analysis revealed that by intentionally trying to incorporate the information from the vulnerability assessment process into the Community Plan update is a successful way to weave in climate considerations and detailed policy recommendations into a community planning process. Results have important implications for future vulnerability assessments that are conducted in Hawaiʻi or with any pacific island community.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR LIVABLE MODERATE-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL LAND USE DEVELOPMENT NEAR PUBLIC TRANSIT
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2023) Zheng, Lily Lai Lai; Flachsbart, Peter G.; Urban & Regional Planning
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a form of development that promotes efficient land-use and transit ridership and a mix of higher-density commercial and residential development. Despite the growing popularity of TOD, many land use planners have debated that Americans have become accustomed to low-density living and personal mobility, making them unlikely to adapt to higher-density living. The goal of this thesis is to provide guidance for the design of moderate-density housing along public transit corridors. To achieve this, the following research questions will be addressed and explored in this study: 1) How do views on moderate-density residential land use differ between planners and non-planners?; and 2) What do preferences of housing customers reveal about design considerations and livability of moderate-density residential land use? By addressing these research questions, this thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of the interest in moderate-density TOD and establishes a clear framework of design considerations for future housing developments. The primary method of research included a web-based visual survey administered on Google Forms, which contained 62-questions in three separate parts: a section on land-use preferences, a section on design preferences, and finally, a section on demographic characteristics. Many of the questions are textual, but supplemented by photographs and graphics to represent features of residential site plans and types of housing in urban areas. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with respondents that volunteered to participate in the interview. In total, 213 respondents were recruited to complete the survey and follow-up interviews were conducted with 11 of the respondents.
The Permanent Master Plan: Water, Agricultural Lands, 1978 Constitutional Convention, and Hawai‘i's Political Crisis of Planning
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2023) Arrasmith, Perry Michael; Milz, Dan; Urban & Regional Planning
The Constitution of the State of Hawai‘i functions as the state’s permanent plan. In order to resolve a series of crisis that took shape from 1970 to 1978, the Constitutional Convention of 1978 arrived as a mechanism to resolve Hawai‘i’s ‘political crisis of planning.’ This thesis examines the formation of the Constitution as the state’s permanent plan through the development of two amendments which resulted as a mandate for the State of Hawai‘i’s regulation of agricultural lands and water resources. While the Constitution of 1978 set out a planning mandate for both policymakers and planners, this thesis unravels the tenuous legacy of the 1978 Constitutional Convention’s amendments, so far as their implementation was subject to the State Legislature from 1978 to 1986. The full impact of the Constitution as a planning document was hobbled at this critical stage, as demonstrated by the legacy of the legislatively mandated (1) Land Evaluation and Site Assessment Commission and (2) the Advisory Study Commission on Water Resources. Against the backdrop of the State Planning Act of 1978, the struggle to build upon the legacy of these commissions, so far as they were mandated by the Constitution, suggests that the Constitution should be re-investigated and reinvigorated as a planning tool—and effective guiding document—for the future of Hawai‘i.
A FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE HUB PLANNING ON OʻAHU: APPLICATION OF A GIS-BASED MULTI CRITERIA APPROACH
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2023) Dorji, Kinzang; Shen, Suwan; Urban & Regional Planning
Community resilience hubs are emerging as one of the important community-led initiatives to enhance the resilience of a community against the increasing threat from natural disasters, extreme weather events and other crises. Given the critical role that community members play in the planning, implementation, and operation of these hubs, it is essential to understand their perceptions so that the hubs are designed and operated in a manner that meets the specific needs of the community. Therefore, this paper focuses on examining the perceptions and preferences for community resilience hubs among residents of Oʻahu, Hawai‘i. The insights gained from examining the community perceptions is used to propose a framework for site screening based on Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and GIS-based suitability analysis. Eventually, the site screening framework developed in this study is used to rank the candidate sites and propose at least two most suitable sites in each of the eight development plan areas of Oʻahu. To achieve these objectives, a random sample of 416 residents across Oʻahu was surveyed to collect data on community perceptions of resilience hubs. In addition, the survey collected 129 candidate sites from different parts of Oʻahu that could potentially serve as resilience hubs in their communities. The proposed framework for site screening comprises 17 factors, classified under five broad criteria: community support, proximity to critical infrastructure, hazard vulnerability, transportation accessibility, and social vulnerability. One of the findings is that community members are more likely to rely on resources and programs offered by resilience hubs during emergency situations than in normal situations. Furthermore, the rural communities are more supportive of the development of these hubs compared to suburban and urban residents for both normal and emergency operation. The results of the survey have significant implications for the design of resilience hubs, including their physical infrastructure, functions, and programs. The findings, proposed framework and recommendations derived from this study can be valuable to policymakers, urban planners, and community organizations in informing the design and operation of resilience hubs and consequently enhancing the overall resilience of a community.
The Emancipatory Potential of Creativity: Art and Creative Expression in Public Space
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Blankenship, Tamera; Das, Priyam; Urban and Regional Planning
This study examines differentiated street art impacts through a phenomenological and historical institutional approach. The primary case study location of Kakaʻako, Hawaiʻi is considered within a range of public space creative expression possibilities presented by three additional study locations along the US-Mexico border. Phenomenological and historical investigation reveal institutional relationships that enable and constrain creative expression in public space. The findings suggest the potential for investigating urban visual landscapes to illuminate forces of power and exclusion in other aspects of the urban experience, such as development and gentrification. Incorporating creatives and creativity in planning practice can foster asset-based framing and co-design processes firmly rooted in local context. The reestablishment of indigenous autonomy, authority, and self-determination in urban public space and the visual landscape may begin to address historical forces of oppression, displacement, and exclusion. The potential for creativity and creative expression for informing planning practice and participatory processes is explored with the goal of vibrant, thriving, and inclusive public spaces that embody the broadest range of human differences and capabilities.
The Development of an Asset-Based Framework for Resilience Hub Planning in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Tran, Cuong; Shen, Suwan; Urban and Regional Planning
In Hawaiʻi, as climate change intensifies and induces more disasters, a greater demand for understanding and strengthening community resilience is necessary. In recent years, resilience hubs have been introduced across the United States to support community resilience efforts against climate change. The Asset-Based Community Development approach was utilized to compare the role of different community assets, i.e., physical, human, and social assets, in promoting community resilience and resilience hub development between urban and rural communities. Four community resilience elements were used for analysis: Community Networks and Relationships, Teamwork and Leadership, Information and Communications, and Training and Education. Different site factors for resilience hub development between urban and rural communities were also analyzed. Two-way analysis of variance tests and post hoc Tukey HSD tests were performed to compare the quantitative and qualitative data from roughly 300 online survey responses between two study areas, the Primary Urban Center and Koʻolauloa, in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Overall, rural residents ranked their physical, human, and social assets significantly higher than urban residents in promoting community resilience. Resilience hub development between urban and rural residents can differ based on the availability, weight, and utilization of community assets. Lastly, urban and rural residents shared similar perspectives on resilience hub site selection for several factors: trust and acceptance, ease of access, programmatic offerings, service to groups, and community-based facility preferences. However, urban residents emphasized more on transportation accessibility compared to rural residents.
Learning To See Through The Spectrum Of Theory—It Takes Practice: Casting A Phenomenological Gaze Into The Becoming Of Professional Planners In America
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Allen, Scott "Cloudwatcher"; Das, Priyam; Urban and Regional Planning
Professional identity is made up of the beliefs associated with a given field and is formed through a process known as professional socialization (Cruess et al., 2015). When successful, this process results not only in providing a clear image of what the professional role requires, but also in equipping the practitioner to effectively carry out the duties associated with the profession (Ibarra, 1999). Diverse planning theories developed over the past several decades are thought to help planners imagine themselves in their professional role and guide their actions in practice, but little is known about the beliefs of practicing planners or how they relate to planning theory. Going further, little is known about what shapes these beliefs in the first place. The purpose of this mixed-methods post-intentional phenomenological study was to describe the beliefs of planners at different stages of their career while illuminating the experiences that have shaped them into who they are as a professional. Carried out in two phases, study findings from Phase I include quantified beliefs of the planner’s role, approach, and philosophies as they relate to planning theory. Phase II findings included the illumination of the production of becoming a planner. This production was analyzed using Elder Vass’s (2010, 2012) critical realist theory of emergence, uncovering two provocations which provoke the production of becoming a planner: micro-interactions and macro-interactions. Together, these provocations gaze into the planner’s experience becoming socialized into the profession⁠ while providing insights which should be of interest to planning students, educators, administrators, and practitioners alike.
Tourism employment and residents' attitudes in Rarotonga, Cook Islands
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1982) Pryor, Pamela Takiora Ingram.; Urban and Regional Planning
To what extent should the Cook Islands encourage tourism as a means to economic development? Small in land area and population, large in the geographic distribution of its sixteen islands, this quasi-independent nation is confronted by the clas􀁒ic proble
Community development in Tuvalu: evaluating the impacts of the Save the Children Federation Program
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1985) Erickson, Scott F.; Urban and Regional Planning
The Save the Children Federation (SCF) of the U.S. has been implementing a community-based development program on all eight atolls of Tuvalu in the South Pacific since 1980. This study evaluates the performance of the program, with the hypo thesis that it
Creating urban viability and vitality: the vision of the Downtown Improvement Association
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1998-08) Stephenson, Ross; Urban and Regional Planning
Social entrepreneurship and sustainability in three non-governmental organizations in the Philippines: a case study
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2012-05) Duldulao, Glenda Agodong; Urban and Regional Planning
To thrive into the future landscape, organizations must be adaptive, innovative, and entrepreneurial. Successful organizations will be those who will overcome the challenges and take on the opportunities brought upon by the uncertainties of the fiscal reality, lack of government trust, aging population, more culturally diverse communities, and changes in the funding environment. This research study aimed to critically understand and locate the traditions of social entrepreneurship among three cases of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and their leaders in the Philippines--Mr. Danny Urquico of Child Family Services Philippines (CFSPI), Fr. Rocky Evangelista of Tuloy Foundation Inc., and Mr. Dennis Drake of International Deaf Education Association (IDEA) Philippines. Social entrepreneurship as an engine to the development of NGOs are important competencies and strategies that are needed for nonprofits today in order to counteract the disruptive forces and proactively recognize and act upon opportunities in a given social, political, and cultural context. Qualitative methods of observation, secondary data collection, with a combination of semi-structured interviews and an indigenous methodology of interviewing called sarita/pakasaritaan (story/history) were utilized. This study finds that both the social and entrepreneurial behaviors of the organization and in their leadership plays key roles in positioning the three cases of NGOs to innovate and strengthen their capacities to advance the causes of social equity, people development, and capacity building.
Identification and assessment of food waste generators in Hawaiʻi
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2006-12) Okazaki, Wendy K.; Urban and Regional Planning
Ascertaining Food Security In Two Mindanao Peri-Urban Communities: Conducting A Situation Analysis
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004-08) Camille Tuason Mata; Urban and Regional Planning
Equity And Historic Preservation: An Examination Of Honolulu's Property Tax Relief Provision For Registered Historic Residences
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004-05) Shen, Celia; Urban and Regional Planning

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