Kaka'ako Policy Design Tank

The Kaka'ako Community Development District Mauka and Makai Area Plans and Rules are designed to guide the redevelopment of this former industrial area into a vibrant pedestrian-oriented urban community. The Mauka and Makai Area Plans establish the general redevelopment goals and objectives for each respective area, while the Mauka and Makai Area Rules specify regulations. The Hawai'i Community Development Authority (HCDA) will be drafting amendments to the Mauka Area Rules governing the Kaka’ako Special Design District (KSDD), for consideration by the State Legislature. Rule amendments tend to occur every 5-10 years. That being said, these proposals should project the direction of development in the KSDD for the next ten years. HCDA has contracted the University of Hawai'i Community Design Center (UHCDC) to gather multi-disciplinary experts to provide feedback on proposed amendments or to suggest amendments that can produce the outcomes that HCDA and the community have envisioned for the area.

The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority (HCDA) is a public entity created by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to establish community development plans in community development districts; determine community development programs; and cooperate with private enterprise and the various components of federal, state, and county governments to bring community development plans to fruition.  The Authority’s work should result in economic and social opportunities and aim to meet the highest needs and aspirations of Hawaiʻi’s people.

HCDA was established by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 1976 to plan and redevelop Kaka'ako and other areas of the state that are in need of renewal, renovation, or improvement. HCDA’s plan and rules provide a framework for planning and development within the Kakaʻako community development district.

The Kakaʻako Mauka Area Plan The Kakaʻako Mauka area plan and rules were first adopted in 1982. The next major repeal and replacement of the Mauka area plan and rules came in 2011.

The University of Hawaiʻi Community Design Center (UHCDC) is a collective of University of Hawai‘i faculty, staff, and allied professionals across university departments and disciplines, assisted by student interns and recent graduates. UHCDC provides a platform for collaboration on public interest built environment work.

The purpose of creating a Policy Design Tank is to gather subject matter and community experts to discuss incentives across each key concept. The intent is to gather information such as:

1. Will incentives achieve the affordable housing, public space, and environmental goals shared by HCDA and community?

2. Will incentives work for developers?

**The Policy Design Tank does NOT displace public outreach and engagement. This is just one part of a broader community engagement process led by a professional consultant in partnership with HCDA.**

The Policy Design Tank is organized around two working groups that will tackle the key concept areas listed above. One working group of five individuals will review the housing impacts of the proposed development incentives and a second will focus on environmental and public space impacts and outcomes. Each working group will meet a total of three times and the entire policy design tank will meet twice, once at the beginning of the process and again at its conclusion. The Policy Design Tank’s work will be compiled into a report and shared with HCDA to guide the process of amending the development incentives in Kaka’ako.

Dan Milz Ph.D. Principal Representative, Principal Investigator Assistant Professor, UHM Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Matsunaga Institute for Peace

2424 Maile Way Honolulu, HI 96822 dmilz@hawaii.edu

Maxwell Rosenfeld Graduate Student Assistant, UHM Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Tamera Blankenship Volunteer, UHM Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Cathi Ho Schar FAIA, Co-Investigator Assistant Professor, UHM School of Architecture and Director, UHCDC

Darlyn Chau Project Designer, UHCDC

Kaka'ako Background Information

1.  Ch. 217 - Mauka Area Rules. EFF-2011-11-11 
2.  Ch. 219 - Rules of Practice and Procedure. EFF 2012-03-02 
3.  Hawaii Revised Statute §206E-3 
4.  HCDA Bylaws 
5.  Kaka'ako Mauka Area Rule Amendments 
6.  Mauka Area Plan 
7.  Kakaako Reserved Housing Rules 
8.  Kakaako Mauka Area Rules Amendments Community Meeting Video (Dec. 02) 
9.  Kakaako Mauka Area Rules Amendments Community Meeting Presentation (Dec. 02) 
10.  Kaka'ako Community Development District TOD Overlay Plan 
11.  Kakaako Urban Design Demonstration Study - Summary Report 
12.  A Socio-Economic-Political Profile and Some Implications for Redevelopment 
13.  Kakaako Tomorrow: A Perspective on Urban Redevelopment 
14.  Urban Design Primer: Hawaii 
15.  Kaka'ako, Urban Core Living 
16.  Kaka'ako Community Development District (KCDD) - Housing Projects 
17.  Ch. 21, Appendix 21-F, Kaka'ako Special Design District 
18.  Marka Area Rules (MAR) Amendments Community Outreach Survey 

Planning Precedents

Hawai'i

1.  Ch. 25 - 201 Housing Program Rules 
2.  State of Hawaiʻi Affordable Housing Inventory 
3.  Honolulu Consumer Spending: 2013 - 2014 
4.  Vacancy and Homeownership Rates, For the State and Urban Honolulu MSA: 2001 to 2017 
5.  Hawaiʻi Housing Demand: 2020 - 2030 
6.  Hawaiʻi Housing Planning Study, 2019 - Inventory Report 
7.  Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing: Phase 1 Report 
8.  2021 MICD Design Tank Report 
9.  How Design Helps Hawaiʻi 
10.  Hawaiʻi Visitors by Island 
11.  Visitor Spending for October 2021 
12.  Ch. 251 - Rental Motor Vehicle, Tour Vehicle, and Car-Sharing Vehicle Surcharge Tax 
13.  GM1365 - A Bill For An Act Relating to Taxation 
14.  Ch. 165 - Taxable Mortgage Securities Program 
15.  Introduction to Hawaiʻi's Land Classification and Management System 
16.  The Hawaiian Ahupua'a Land Use System: Its Biological Resouce Zone and the Challenge for Silvicultural Restoration 
17.  Ch. 205 - Land Use Commission 
18.  Phase lll: Native Hawaiian Access Rights Project Recommendations for SMA Rules and Process 
19.  South of Oahu Offshore Wind Project 
20.  Feasibility of a District Cooling System Using Natural Cold Water 
21.  Honolulu Central District Cooling Facility at Kakaʻako 
22.  Building Code Amendments to Reduce Existing and Future Building Stock Vulnerability To Coastal Hazards and Climate Impacts In the City and County of Honolulu 
23.  Pedestrian Priority Network Methodology 
24.  The Costs of Parking in Hawaiʻi 
25.  Vehicle Registration, by Type of Vehicle, by County: 2012 
26.  Vehicle Registration, by Type of Vehicle, by County: 2013 
27.  Vehicle Available to Occupied Housing Units, by County: 2011 
28.  Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption and Vehicle Miles, 1992 to 2012, and by County, 2011 and 2012 
29.  Passenger Car Rental and Leasing (NAICS 53211): 1997 to 2007 
30.  Ch. 21, Table 21 -3, Zoning Districts 
31.  Ch. 21, Article 4, General Development Standards 
32.  Ch. 21, Article 1, Flood Hazard Areas 
33.  Housing Oahu: Affordable Housing Strategy 
34.  Implementing an Affordable Housing Requirement 
35.  Rules of Implement City's Affordable Housing 
36.  Ordinance 19-8 (Bill 7) - Relating to Affordable Rental Housing 
37.  Taking Down Parking Lots and Unpaving Paradise 
38.  Measuring the Burden of Housing Regulation in Hawaii 

Mainland U.S.

1.  Affordable Housing Incentives Guidelines (Los Angeles, California) 
2.  Assembly Bill No. 1401 (California) 
3.  Assembly Bill No. 551 (California) 
4.  University of California - Guide to Implementing the Urban Agricultural Incentive Zones Act (California) 
5.  San Francisco Establishes California's First Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone (California) 
6.  Chelsea Market (New York, New York) 
7.  Urban Design Checklist (New York) 
8.  PBOT Smart Cities Framework (Portland, Oregon) 
9.  Innovative Asset Management to Preserve the City's Streets (Portland, Oregon) 
10.  E-Scooter Long-Term Program Planning (Portland, Oregan) 
11.  Density Bonuses (Washington) 
12.  Incentive Zoning (Washington) 
13.  Parking Reductions (Washington) 
14.  Flexible Single-Family Development Regulations (Washington) 
15.  Inclusionary Zoning (Washington) 
16.  A New Measure of the Local Regulatory Environment for Housing Markets: The Wharton Regulatory Index 

Australia

1.  Evaluating the Outcome and Scalability of An Affordable Homeownership Model 
2.  The Barnett Model Evaluating the Outcome and Scalability of an Affordable Homeownership Model Executive Summary 
3.  The Barnett Model: An 18-Month Review of the Outcomes of An Affordable Homeownership Model 
4.  Tap Turners and Game Changers 
5.  Project 30,000: Producing Social and Affordable Housing on Government Land 
6.  Housing affordability in Victoria 
7.  Housing 2041: NSW Housing Strategy 
8.  2021-22 Action Plan: NSW Housing Strategy 
9.  Comments on Building Heights and Volumetrics controls in the CBD 

Japan

1.  Introduction of Urban Land Use Planning System in Japan 

Singapore

1.  Guidelines to Encourage More Innovative and Better Design of Rooftops 
2.  Guidelines at a Glance: Commercial 
3.  Bonus GFA Incentive Scheme 

Other

1.  Why Are Developers Only Building Luxury Housing 
2.  Thoughtful design can create high-quality affordable multi-family housing 
3.  Flexible zoning and streamlined procedures can make housing more affordable 
4.  Is zoning a useful tool or regulatory barrier 
5.  "Gentle" density can save our neighborhoods 
6.  Parking requirements and foundations are driving up the cost of multifamily housing 
7.  Making apartments more affordable starts with understanding the costs of building them 
8.  Building an Effective Community Engagement Strategy 
9.  Defining density and land uses under energy performance targets at the early stage of urban planning processes 
10.  The Macro View on Micro Units 
11.  Technical Appendix to The Cost of Affordable Housing: Does it Pencil Out? 
12.  Vestiges of Transit: Urban Persistence at a Microscale 
13.  Changes in Zoning to Encourage Affordable Housing 
14.  Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Immediate Steps to Increase Affordable Housing Supply 
15.  Tool: Inclusionary Zoning 
16.  ARUP 
17.  Avoiding Design That Will Fail? 

1. Image 1:  https://www.wardvillage.com/centers/aeo-shops/ 
2. Image 2:  https://www.wardvillage.com/ 
3. Image 3:  https://www.wardvillage.com/recreation/entertainment/ 
4. Image 4:  https://realhawaii.co/blog 
5. Image 5: Used with permission from SALT at Our Kakaʻako and/or Our Kakaʻako ( https://saltatkakaako.com/contact-us/ )
6. Image 6: Used with permission from SALT at Our Kakaʻako and/or Our Kakaʻako ( https://saltatkakaako.com/directory/ )
7. Image 7: Used with permission from SALT at Our Kakaʻako and/or Our Kakaʻako ( https://ourkakaako.com/street-art/ )
8. Image 8: Used with permission from SALT at Our Kakaʻako and/or Our Kakaʻako ( https://ourkakaako.com )