Land Use And Ownership Trends In Hawaii

The story of Hawaii's lands is history and ecology and also politics. In his exploration of the world of planning commissions and ambitious developers, the author details the struggle over land and its uses: the dubious deals, the relentless eating away of open space, the hollow plans and wasted studies. From colonial cabal to the megatrusts of the 1970s, he explains how The Speculating Game has meant huge profits for the few and a vanishing resource for the many. In this book, the author makes recommendations for long-range actions which he knows will be controversial but which he believes to be essential if Hawaii's lands are to maintain any of their natural qualities.

Land use in Hawai‘i remains the most regulated of all the fifty states. According to many sources, the process of going from raw land to the completion of a project may well average ten years given that ninety-five percent of raw land is initially classified by the State Land Use Commission as either conservation or agriculture. How did this happen and to what end? Will it continue? What laws and regulations control the use of land? Is the use of land in Hawai‘i a right or a privilege? These questions and others are addressed in this long-overdue second edition of Regulating Paradise, a comprehensive and accessible text that will guide readers through the many layers of laws, plans, and regulations that often determine how land is used in Hawai‘i. It provides the tools to analyze an enormously complex process, one that frustrates public and private sectors alike, and will serve as an essential reference for students, planners, regulators, lawyers, land use professionals, environmental and cultural organizations, and others involved with land use and planning.