Planning Department receives national award for its Kaua‘i Sea Level Rise Constraint District Ordinance
LĪHU‘E – The County of Kauaʻi Planning Department this week became the recipient of the American Planning Association’s 2023 National Resilience & Sustainability Award for the department’s recently adopted Kauaʻi Sea Level Rise Constraint District Ordinance. Only one planning program nationwide is selected annually for this award, recognizing the exemplary work of planners to build policies or plans addressing resiliency and sustainability.
“We are incredibly proud of our Planning Department and all involved in this groundbreaking ordinance which was signed into law just last year,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “Kaua‘i is no stranger to coastal erosion and flooding, as we’ve seen first-hand how climate change is affecting our community. We thank APA for acknowledging our hardworking associates and their progressive and innovative efforts to ensure a better future of our island and people.”
In October 2022, the County of Kaua‘i adopted a new Sea Level Rise (SLR) Constraint District within its Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance as a proactive measure to enhance community resilience and reduce risk to the built environment.
“Coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to devastating climate impacts. Utilizing scientific studies and mapping done by the University of Hawaiʻi’s Climate Resilience Collaborative, we were able to craft new land use and building design regulations,” said Kauaʻi Planning Director, Kaʻaina Hull. “Mahalo to APA for this award, particularly recognizing the need for scientific modeling within zoning regulations to address municipalities that are increasingly finding themselves under threat by the various hazards of our changing climates.”
The passage of the Sea Level Rise Constraint District bill is the culmination of nearly five years of scientific study, community engagement, and stakeholder input. The Constraint District is also unique in its integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based modeling. Kauaʻi is one of the first counties in the nation to implement scientific modeling for climate change hazards into zoning and land use regulations.
The American Planning Association recognizes Kauaʻi’s SLR Constraint District as a proactive model that minimizes the threat to public health and safety, promotes resilient planning and design, and reduces expenditure of public monies for costly flood control projects.
“By acting thoughtfully and decisively to locate new structures out of harm’s way, the County of Kaua’i provides an important example of how to make our communities safer and reduce the damage and costs of a changing climate,” said Ben Hitchings, FAICP, 2023 APA Awards jury chair. “The effective use of scientific data and web-based technology to support this initiative creates a transparent and innovative approach that others can emulate.”
 Photo: On Oct. 14, 2022, Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami signed Bill No. 2879, amending construction design standards to incorporate sea level rise impacts – making Kaua‘i one of the first counties in the nation to enact regulation based on sea level rise modeling projections.
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