Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan

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Appendix A: Summary of Hawai`i’s Planning Process

The following is a summary of the major components of Hawai‘i’s comprehensive planning process.

Hawai‘i State Plan

The Hawai‘i State Plan, Haw. Rev. Stat. Ch. 226, was adopted into law in 1978 as a comprehensive guide for the long-range future development of the state. In particular, the Hawai‘i State Planning Act (SLH 1978) set forth Hawai‘i’s overall themes, goals and objectives, which state the following:

“The purpose of this chapter is to set forth the Hawai‘i State plan that shall serve as a guide for the future long-range development of the State; identify the goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for the State; provide a basis for determining priorities and allocating limited resources, such as public funds, services, human resources, land, energy, water, and other resources; improve coordination of federal, state, and county plans, policies, programs, projects, and regulatory activities; and to establish a system for plan formulation and program coordination to provide for an integration of all major state, and county activities.”

The process of creating the Hawai‘i State Plan engaged thousands of public and private citizens in a comprehensive community outreach campaign. Brochures, slide presentations and public service announcements and meeting notices informed participants of various opportunities to provide input into the creation of the Hawai‘i State Plan. Various organizations and community groups including businesses, chambers of commerce, state boards and commissions, rotary clubs and county agencies also contributed their ideas for a desirable Hawai‘i.

A preliminary draft plan was prepared and distributed as a newspaper tabloid in all of the major papers throughout the state. An interim joint House-Senate committee kept apprised of the development of the plan. The Hawai‘i State Plan Policy Council, an advisory body comprising community representatives, state department directors and county planning directors, held the responsibility of overseeing the process.

The Hawai‘i State Plan consists of three parts:

Part I sets forth the overall theme, goals, objectives and policies of the state, covering population, economy, physical environment, facility systems and socio-cultural advancement.

Part II outlines planning, coordination and implementation of the Hawai‘i State Plan, including:

The appropriation of funds under the State budget to be in conformance with the overall theme, goals, objectives and policies and to be guided by the Priority Guidelines and State Functional Plans;

The budget review process of the Department of Budget and Finance to be in conformance with the overall theme, goals, objectives and policies and to be guided by the Priority Guidelines and State Functional Plans;

The appropriation of funds under the State Capital Improvements Program to be in conformance with the overall theme, goals, objectives and policies and be guided by the Priority Guidelines and State Functional Plans;

State land use decision making processes of State agencies shall be in conformance with the overall theme, goals, objectives and policies and be guided by the Priority Guidelines and State Functional Plans;

State Programs shall be in conformance with the overall theme, goals, objectives and policies and shall be guided by the Priority Guidelines and State Functional Plans.

Part III of the Hawai‘i State Plan pertains to the State’s five priority areas (since last updated in 1986), including: economic development, population growth and land resources management, affordable housing, crime and criminal justice, and quality education.

The last comprehensive review and revision of the Hawai‘i State Plan occurred in 1986. Since then, the Hawai‘i State Legislature has made only specific and selective amendments to the Hawai‘i State Plan. For example, in the late 1980s, objectives and policies on the information industry were added to position Hawai‘i as the leader in information business in the Pacific Rim. In 1994, additions to objectives and policies on energy were made to increase energy self-sufficiency, greater energy security and telecommunications and to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas.

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