'Ili development districts establishe a maximum watershed footprint to reduce sprawl, increase open space, and reorganize neighborhoods around food, ecosystem, and community resources.





The following chapter explores the ‘ili (development district) as the fundamental theory behind Hawaiian neighborhood design. It is inspired by the ‘ili, which is a fundamental land unit for food production within the ahupua‘a.

Key concepts include:
+ 'Ili Neighborhoods / Place-Oriented Development (POD)
+ Pedestrian Access: Food / Community Resources
+ Ecological Information & Resource Potential Zones
+ Ecological Adjacency & Development Density


PLACE-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT / COMMUNITY RESOURCES



The optimization zone creates a network of neighborhoods organized around the concept of place-oriented development (POD), which is the evolution of transit-oriented development (TOD). Whereas TOD focuses around access to transit nodes, POD focuses around access to food and community resources, at a finer scale to ensure maximum coverage. With POD, access to transportation options become a benefit, rather than the prime focus. Drawing a parallel between the idea of neighborhoods and 'ili reinforces the sense of community values around the resources necessary for sustenance, such as local farming cooperatives, education, and local business. Through place-oriented development, each ‘ili-neighborhood would be organized around pedestrian access to food and community resources, centrally located at grocery stores and schools. These resources include the following:

Farmers Markets
Local farming initiatives around cooperatives and citizen participation in the production, processing, distribution, and administration of food resources, supported by policies that facilitate a robust place-based food economy.

Regenerative Resource Infrastructure
A closed-loop, regenerative infrastructure of renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, stormwater retention, wastewater treatment, waste recycling, hydroponic/aquaponic food cultivation, traditional farming.

Schools
Special curriculum around food production, distribution, and workforce development to instill within students an appreciation for the foods they eat and the skills necessary to participate in the local economy.

Local Artists, Businesses, and Services
A vibrant network of local businesses centered around creating a sustainable built-environment; additional services offered could include: banks, places of worship, convenience grocery; day care; cleaners; fire station; hair care; hardware; laundry; library; medical/dental; senior care facility; parks; pharmacy; post office; restaurant; school; supermarket; commercial office; community center.

Public and Alternative Transportation
A cohesive and comprehensive network of light rail, bus routes, bike lines, pedestrian walkways.




ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION & RESOURCE POTENTIAL ZONES


The management of multifunctional land-use districts at the municipal level occurs in the form of Environmental Information and Resource Potential (EIRP) Zones. These zones translate resource mapping into performance-oriented zoning parameters, which integrate place-based information, such as solar exposure, wind, rainfall, and soil type, into the actual building code. This creates a zoning system that informs sustainable building practices, identifies the performance metrics standards a building/site must follow, and assesses the potential resources that a building/site may be required to generate. For example, buildings near the shore may generate more energy compared to a building in the valley that may harvest more rainwater. As a result, buildings intensify the resource potential of an ahupua‘a. This dynamic parallels the traditional trade of kalo and fish between ma uka farmers and ma kai fishermen.


ECOLOGICAL ADJACENCY & DEVELOPMENT DENSITY


Population density and building heights within POD would be determined by pedestrian-oriented, ecological adjacencies to stream, shoreline, and forest areas. These adjacencies would reestablish the ecosystem as the primary organizing element within developed areas, reinforcing the visual and physical mauka-makai relationship between communities and the environment.