Hawaiian Ahupua'a Planning Approach (H.A.P.A.) for Rural Communities in Hawai'i: Modern Culturally-Based Sustainable Living Through Planning for Architecture

Abstract

Contemporary Architects and Planners in Hawaiʻi are consistently pursuing sustainable, affordable, and ecologically friendly concepts and practices to incorporate into their designs. Their intention is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Hawai‘i and ensure the well being of future generations. The ancient Hawaiians settled the islands and developed harmonious relationships with, the natural elements, which they honored as Gods; the land; and among themselves - Aloha i Nā kua (love and honor the Gods), Aloha ʻ ina (love and care for the land and ocean), and Aloha Kekāhi i Kekāhi (love and respect one another). From these relationships emerged a stewardship-minded culture, which proved to be an excellent example of the concepts and practices sought by modern planners and architects. In this dissertation, traditional Hawaiian planning practices will be explored and its successful elements identified. These elements will be incorporated into a planning approach that can be used as a foundation for rural community design in Hawai‘i. Case studies of modern rural planning and design approaches in Hawai‘i are explored and the preferred practices are extracted. These are combined with Hawaiian ahupua‘a principles to derive what I call the Hawaiian Ahupua'a Planning Approach (HAPA). A culturally relevant implementation process is included to illustrate how the HAPA strategy can be effectively integrated into a participatory planning effort. The outcome of such an effort can result in a plan and design suited to the natural resources of the land. This process can be used in any rural community in Hawai‘i, but is applied in this dissertation to the community of Hana, Maui as specific example.