A Vision for Kona

The vision set forth by the public and articulated in the Community Development Plan is multifaceted, complex, and requires a profound rethinking of the way land will be used in the Kona region in the future. The preferred development scenario, and the policies recommended to implement it, suggests a dramatic shift in emphasis from growth by disconnected and often gated subdivisions to the creation of compact integrated villages and neighborhoods. This is visually simulated in a 3D model of a prototypical Growth Opportunity Area Transit Village that is linked, walkable, and offers mixed uses and buildings of different types and cost. It calls for celebrating the native culture, while respecting sacred ancestral places. It calls for considering all aspects of the natural environment from the mauka (ocean) to the makai (mountain) lands to agriculturally profitable areas, and places for recreation to create a connected green infrastructure that defines and shapes the built environment. It demands a strong focus on affordable housing, not just as an issue of social equity, but as a way to reduce congestion and commuting distance imposed on the workforce – those who could least afford the cost of commuting by automobile. It requires establishing a new rigorous set of development regulations to enable the implementation of the vision. And, finally, it will require innovative partnerships of private, public, and civic interests committed to implementing the vision over the long term.

The multifaceted vision expressed in the plan could not have been achieved without the use of visual simulation that allowed the public to work directly with technical information and visualize the outcome of a variety of future scenarios. The melding of the intuitive knowledge brought to the table by the public and the technical analysis contributed by the consultant team ensured that the participants made informed and technically sound decisions while pursuing a vision for the region consistent with the their values and expectations.