The Kona Community Development Plan is a guide for strategic growth in North and South Kona, situated on the west coast of the Island of Hawai'i. The communities natural coastline and coffee agriculture became threatened by booming population growth in the last two decades.
This plan took thorough input from community members and stakeholders and created a detailed plan for development, conservation, and agriculture in a sustainable future. TCF identified existing and potential green infrastructure within the area, a report that was published within the CDP. This CDP serves as an example of greenprint techniques and analysis being utilized in a formal county planning document.
Year Published: 2008
State: Hawaii
Landscape Context: Coastal
Housing Density: Rural
Funding Type: Public
Organizations Involved:
Hawaii County Department of Planning.
Values:
Water Supply, Open Space/Habitat, Recreation, Sustainability, Working Land, Historic/Cultural Sites, Biodiversity
Stakeholder Involvement:
Stakeholders were fully integrated; over 100 meetings of various sizes and settings were held to solicit input from hundreds of community members. Stakeholders also participated on eleven working groups focused on topics deemed most important through the public meeting process.
Planning Process:
A Steering Committee composed of 15 diverse citizens appointed by the County Mayor guided the process. Large and small public meetings were held to solicit input and feedback from community members. This input was then used to develop eight core guiding principles for the Community Development Plan. TCF offered expertise in inventorying existing conservation in the region, mapping possible corridors of open space, and developing planning guidelines for sustainable agriculture in the region.
Desired Outcomes:
The county aimed to develop a Community Development in line with the framework set forth in 2005 under the County of Hawai'i's General Plan. This project aimed to incorporate residents' vision into the development plan, direct development and growth to the appropriate areas and preserve natural assets, and continually evaluate and update the Community Plan in the future.
What It Accomplished:
Won a 2009 Outstanding Planning Award from the APA (American Planning Association).