United States	June 2018
Environmental Protection	www.epa.gov/smartgrowth
Agency
Greening America's Communities
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Honolulu, Hawaii
Office of Community Revitalization
Smart Growth Program

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Greening America's Communities
Greening America's Communities is an EPA program to help cities and towns develop an implementable
vision of environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate innovative green infrastructure and other
sustainable design strategies. EPA provides design assistance to help support sustainable communities that
protect the environment, economy, and public health and to inspire local and state leaders to expand this
work elsewhere.
Greening America's Communities will help communities consider ways to incorporate sustainable design
strategies into their planning and development to create and enhance interesting, distinctive neighborhoods
that have multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits.
Honolulu, Hawaii was chosen in 2016 as one of six communities to receive this assistance along with Columbia,
South Carolina; Brownsville, Texas; Multnomah County, Oregon; Muscatine, Iowa, and Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma.
More information is available at: https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greening-americas-communities
All images courtesy of Community Design + Architecture unless otherwise noted.

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Acknowledgements
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Abby Hall, Office of Community Revitalization
Asia Yeary, Region 9 Hawaii Transportation Lead
City and County of Honolulu
Harrison Rue, Community Building and Transit-Oriented Development Administrator
Renee Espiau, Transit-Oriented Development Division, Lead Planner, Department of Planning & Permitting
Caterine Picardo Diaz, Transit-Oriented Development Division Planner, Department of Planning & Permitting
Community Design + Architecture
Connie Goldade, RLA, Principal in Charge
Phil Erickson, AIA, Complete Streets Advisor
Ashley Cruz, Urban Designer
Katrina Majewski, Urban Designer
Ariella Levitch, Urban Designer
Roth Ecological Design International, LLC
Lauren C. Roth Venu, Principal
Elena Lekhter, CAD Manager
Ruben Castro, Graphic Designer

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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
1.	Introduction
2.	Design Workshop
3.	Existing Conditions
4.	Design Options
5.	Next Steps and Funding
Appendix - Case Studies
2
5
6
10
33
41

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Executive Summary
Many areas of Honolulu, including the Iwilei and
Kapalama neighborhoods, will be transformed as a
new rail line is built and surrounding development
responds to rezoning and transit-oriented
development (TOD) policies. Iwilei and Kapalama
are legacy mixed-use communities in Honolulu's
industrial core and are challenged by poor street
connectivity, a lack of sidewalks and bike lanes,
localized flooding, and susceptibility to sea level rise.
The city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii requested
technical assistance through the EPA's Greening
America's Communities program to help imagine
potential designs and strategies for more innovative,
environmentally-friendly streets and neighborhoods.
The designs presented in this report are intended
to help Honolulu achieve multiple community
benefits as Iwilei and Kapalama redevelop.
The designs include approaches that: support
economic development and public investment
in transit, address current and future disaster
risk, promote public art and placemaking, better
manage stormwater with green infrastructure, and
create streets that are safe, accessible, and usable
by people of all abilities who are walking, taking
transit, biking, or driving around the neighborhood.

Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
This report includes a discussion of project goals,
challenges, and opportunities identified during the
three-day workshop in Honolulu (Chapter 2); a
project area assessment of existing conditions within
Iwilei and Kapalama (Chapter 3); and a set of design
options for select locations in Iwilei and Kapalama
(Chapter 4). The final chapter of this report, Next
Steps and Funding, presents ideas about how to pay
for and implement the designs, and possible actions
that could catalyze improvements not only in Iwilei
and Kapalama, but in other parts of Honolulu as
well. An appendix features relevant case studies and
shows how other communities addressed issues
similar to those in Iwilei and Kapalama.
/

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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
1. Introduction
The city and county of Honolulu (the city) hopes
to integrate innovative design solutions into future
policies, standards, and built projects. This includes
solutions for infrastructure, transportation, and
community development to support the city's
successful implementation of TOD plans and
climate adaptation and resiliency goals. The design
concepts presented in this report demonstrate how
sustainable approaches to street and neighborhood
design can enhance the environment and the
community, as well as build resiliency and support
economic development. Through thoughtful
design, the Greening Iwilei and Kapalama project
provides concepts for site design, building strategies,
and technologies that: create comfortable and
safe places for people to walk and cycle; improve
connectivity; provide climate adaptation and
resiliency by addressing flooding and sea level
rise impacts and increasing water and energy
efficiency; expand economic vitality; and enhance
neighborhood character.
City staff identified four focus sites that represent
typical conditions in the Iwilei and Kapalama
neighborhoods. In addition, all sites are near planned
rail transit stations and are located within designated
TOD areas. The city intends to use these design
options as examples for other sites in Honolulu with
similar conditions. The focus sites are:
Site I - Kalani Street
Site 2 - Kapalama drainage channel
Site 3 - Potential development sites at Iwilei Road
and Pacific Street
Site 4 - North Nimitz Highway
2 | Introduction
Legend
Location and direction of section
# Rail transit station

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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
# KALI Nil ,
Station ^
KAPALAMA
Station
IWILEI
Station
fwifei Road
CHINATOWN
.StalTpKi
Honolulu Harbor
Figure I. Site vicinity map.
Introduction | 3

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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Honolulu requested assistance from EPA's Greening
America's Communities program to help:
•	Improve multimodal connectivity and safety for
all users.
•	Enhance and provide walking and biking
facilities.
•	Provide sustainable practices for green streets,
green infrastructure, and open space.
•	Identify innovative and resilient approaches
for sustainable building and infrastructure that
can be modeled for new development or
redevelopment projects.
•	Develop places for recreation and community
interaction.
Following an initial site visit, EPA staff, city staff,
and the design team held a three-day workshop
with stakeholders, local experts, and staff from
city, state, and federal agencies to understand
local priorities and challenges for the Iwilei and
Kapalama neighborhoods. During the workshop, the
design team presented and discussed preliminary
design options at two public open houses. After
collecting valuable comments and suggestions from
community stakeholders and city staff, the design
team refined the preliminary design options.
Following an initial site visit, EPA staff, city staff,
and the design team held a three-day workshop
with stakeholders, local experts, and staff from
city, state, and federal agencies to understand
local priorities and challenges for the Iwilei and
Kapalama neighborhoods. During the workshop, the
design team presented and discussed preliminary
design options at two public open houses. After
collecting valuable comments and suggestions from
community stakeholders and city staff, the design
team refined the preliminary design options.
4 | Introduction
The concept designs in this report illustrate
complete streets strategies combined with green
infrastructure and green building concepts to create
pedestrian-friendly, sustainable, and climate resilient
streets, buildings, and sites. Complete streets use
a range of strategies to make streets and sidewalks
safe for all users, including people walking, bicycling,
or driving. Conventional street design was mostly
focused on moving vehicles, thereby inducing
traffic congestion, pollution, and collision injuries.
Complete streets, on the other hand, are designed
so that people of all ages and abilities can travel
easily and safely on a comfortable facility. In addition,
a street can be more "complete" by improving its
environmental performance. Green infrastructure
includes a range of natural and built approaches
to stormwater management-such as rain gardens,
stormwater planters, and permeable paving-that
mimic natural systems by capturing and treating
polluted stormwater runoff and letting it absorb
back into the ground rather than flow into the
stormwater system. The use of landscaping green
infrastructure can also cool the urban environment
and support complete streets goals by making
streets more comfortable for walking and cycling.
Green building concepts also provide green and
sustainable strategies, including elements such as
green roofs, water reuse technologies, renewable
energy generation, and energy efficient building
design.
The design concepts presented in this report
envision Iwilei and Kapalama as interconnected,
walkable and bikeable, sustainable and climate
resilient neighborhoods. The design concepts can
attract economic development to the area and
support rail transit ridership, while also improving
air and water quality to benefit both current and
future residents and visitors alike. Finally, the design
options can enhance the overall quality of life and
community identity for those living, working, and
visiting Iwilei and Kapalama.

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Figure 2A. Group discussion at public workshop.
Figure 28. Participants attend workshop.
2. Design Workshop
Prior to the public workshop, the design team
and city staff visited the sites, discussed major
opportunities and challenges within the Kapalama
and Iwilei neighborhoods, and reviewed relevant
planning, engineering, sea level rise, and other policy
documents. Following the site visit, the design team
developed a series of alternate design options that
showcased different strategies and opportunities for
improvement.
Following the site visits, the city and EPA hosted a
three-day design workshop to gather community
input. The event included two public open houses,
focus group meetings with public and private sector
practitioners, and interactive design sessions with
key stakeholders, community members and city,
state, and federal staff from various departments.
The design team gathered feedback during this
process and refined preliminary designs based on
local goals and priorities.
Many participants agreed on the following
priorities:
•	Improve pedestrian mobility, access, and
safety.
•	Increase green infrastructure to address
drainage and flooding problems.
•	Add more public open spaces in highly visible
areas.
•	Explore how green building strategies
and eco-blocks could be used in new
development, especially for water reuse.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Workshop attendees also highlighted the following
site-specific goals:
•	Transform a segment of "the state's open space
buffer and parking lot along the Kapalama
drainage channel into a constructed wetland
to reduce flooding and improve water quality
in the canal and add a new multi-use trail to
improve pedestrian and bicycle access to the
area.
•	Explore a reconfiguration of North Nimitz
Highway that would allow it to serve as both
a main street and through-traffic street, based
on further traffic modeling and analysis.
These goals and site-specific strategies are
incorporated into the design options presented in
Chapter 4.
Design Workshop | 5

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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
3. Existing Conditions
! he following maps show the historical and existing conditions for the four focus sites.
Historical Conditions
Data collected from "Place Names of Kapalama"1 is
rendered conceptually on this map to display cultural
and historical uses of the land by native Hawaiians
prior to western development. Historically, the
four focus sites fell within three separate ahupuaa
(socio-political boundaries aligned with watershed
delineations). Site I is located within the ahupuaa
of Kalihi, Site 2 is within the ahupuaa of Kapalama,
and sites 3 and 4 are situated within the ahupuaa of
Nuuanu/Honolulu, The coastal ahupuaa boundary
lines also indicate where land historically met the
sea. The existing development on the ocean side of
these boundaries was created by dredging and filling
the bay to create Honolulu Harbor and Sand Island
in the 20th century. Of the four focus sites, Site 2,
located along the drainage channel to Kapalama
canal (previously a stream), appears to have had
the most historically active land use. Site 2 is within
an area where there were ponds (loko) as well as
a flooded agricultural zone that was a productive
area for taro and rice. The historical data shows
there were multiple loko in the area which were
traditionally designed to capture and raise fish from
either freshwater or saltwater sources, or as salt
beds.
N
I	1 Pool® sites	A 0 0.125 0.25 0.250.5	0(3$ miles:
• Hail liartstf Station	Historic fishponds ^
flail turn* lino	¦¦ Lt*o kuwili 1 (*»wirSirig pond")	• • • Historic stream tocalwn
		. .	Lotto kuwili 2 {'swillingpond")	¦¦¦ Kapafamafishery
~ Ahupua a bandar*	H ^	{no franstaSon lwjnd)
faicel bouidary	«awa ('leaping place")
— 1/2 mite radius around rail llrte station	Tara/rice gafden
' (t(H5min<«a3ung
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Projected Water Hazards
Sea level rise and groundwater inundation data
were collected from the National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and the
University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Ocean,
Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). The sea
level rise data provides predictions under two:
increased seawater level scenarios: approximately
three and four feet of sea level rise, respectively.
Moreover, the risk and impacts of coastal hazards
can be exacerbated by sea level rise.
Flood zone data for areas subject to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency's identified
inundation by a one-percent annual chance flood
event, or 100-year flood are depicted. Tsunami
evacuation areas are also included to indicate
current natural hazards. Under current conditions
for the 100-year flood, Site 2 would be the most
affected, as well as areas surrounding Site 3. Sites 2
and 4 are within the tsunami evacuation zones. As
for the predictions for a three- to four-foot sea level
rise, Site 2 along the Kapalama drainage channel
would be the most affected, and Site 3 may have
additional flooding concerns.
I I I sites	iiQfcSI prafcsifcjd sra lewel	Open /.-jfer	vj_—^
• Rail 1/amit-station	rise bj i IO0 (j-'ift)	g Flood w AF (100yea" flood)
„ , .	- NOAA wojected sea fevusl
1 —¦ Kill! Irdiwl im:
nse by (4ft)
'A mile rjilc. around line >->>->- _ .
(|	...	wjy Tsuiwm ftvaoiaJinn /raiti
| station (10-1S rmn walking
distance)	~ Parcel boundary
Figure 4. Projected water hazards map. Provides information on how predicted sea level rise, flooding, and
tsunamis may affect the four focus sites both now and in the future.
Existing Conditions | 7
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Parcel boundary
| focus sates
Rail trar®t station
¦ Kail transit Ire
mile radius around rari Ine station
I '0-15 rrKn waging distance)
Pub-c open space o 0.125 0(25
Open water
Soil drainage
Poorly drar>ed (kaena day)
Vvyi drained (Al land, mixed)
0350.5
0C?5 miles
Soil data was collected from the National Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey.
The surrounding areas are interspersed with parks
and schools, which are indicated on the map in
green, however, impervious surfaces dominate.
The data results show that the underlying soil at all
four focus sites is fill and is generally characterized
as well-draining. Clay soil, which has poor drainage
capacity, is more predominant above the sites at
higher elevations. The combination of poor upland
drainage, the overwhelming amount of impervious
surfaces, and the lack of adequate stormwater
infrastructure, creates flooding concerns and
instances, especially at Sites I, 2, and 3. Although not
indicated on the soils map, since the area has legacy
and current industrial uses, there is high likelihood
of contamination in the area, so some sites may be
inappropriate for groundwater recharge from green
infrastructure. The city has received a U.S. EPA
Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment grant
and has conducted Phase I and 2 assessments on
several area properties.
Figure 5. Soils map. Shows the locations of public open spaces and identifies some soil conditions at the four focus
sites and the surrounding area.
8 j Existing Conditions
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Multimodal Circulation
Multimodal data indicates existing bus routes and
stops and bike facilities, as well as planned bike
facilities. The planned raii transit line and stations
are also illustrated on the map. Currently, Sites 2, 3,
and 4 are located in areas with poor circulation due
to historic parcel patterns and the predominately
industrial nature of the area, a lack of bicycle
facilities, and the absence of an interconnected
street network. Future planned bike lanes and
complete streets improvements will be designed to
improve and encourage non-vehicle transportation,
however slowing and calming vehicular traffic will
also be necessary to make the area safer for people
who choose to bike or walk.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
I I Focus sites
® Bus stop
Bi>s route
0 Rail transit station
	Rail tramrt line
Open water
!4 mile rad
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
4. Design Options
This chapter discusses and illustrates the design options for the selected sites near the Iwilei and Kapalama
rail stations. The design strategies respond to the community's goals of green and complete streets, green
infrastructure systems that consider climate change and address stormwater and rising groundwater table,
support for transit and walkability, economic development, and sustainability. The design team developed
options based on climate adaptation, resiliency, and green and complete streets principles. They then
refined those based on the outcome of public open house comments and staff input.
Site 1: Kalani Street
Kalani Street is typical of many streets in the
area, which lack curbs and gutters, sidewalks, and
adequate drainage infrastructure. It serves a mix
of adjacent uses including: wholesale businesses,
small factories, single and multi-family residential,
and commercial uses such as auto repair, small
markets, and restaurants. Most of the adjacent
properties have little, if any landscaping and are
covered with buildings and paved areas. The results
are localized flooding, the presence of truck traffic
and loading, dangerous driving behavior, and a
hot environment with little shade. Because the
street has no sidewalks, it functions as a shared
street as pedestrians, cars, and trucks all use
the narrow right of way. New street designs can
create a more comfortable and safe shared street
for people to walk and gather (see Shared Street
Case Study on the following page and Case Study
I in the Appendix), While the design concepts are
developed with Kalani Street in mind, they are not
site-specific, and can be applied to other public or
private streets facing similar issues.
The designs focus on two portions of Kalani Street
that are identified as Site IA and Site IB. The
designs illustrate how the area for vehicles to drive
can be narrowed and offset to slow traffic speeds
and create places for people to walk and gather. The
shared street does not have curbs or designated
sidewalks which provides more flexibility for
transitioning between pedestrian priority areas and
a mixed-use shared street, and helps meet minimum
fire lane requirements. Pedestrian priority areas can
be defined with different pavement materials and
colors, small seating areas or parklets, and landscape
planters. Permeable paving and stormwater planters
could slow down, capture, and treat stormwater
to improve water quality, reduce localized flooding,
and add greenery and shade. Modular suspended
pavement cells alongside trees could treat and
detain stormwater runoff and promote the recharge
of stormwater back into groundwater supplies.
However, where there is unsuitable soil and/or
high groundwater levels, the following options are
more strategic: underground stormwater storage
that promotes the slow release of stormwater
or that is designed for reuse to meet nonpotable
water demands; and/or direct runoff collected and
treated in bioretention or permeable areas into city
stormwater pipes through subdrains.
Kalani Street has many vacant parcels and parking
lots. These properties can be improved with
temporary and low-cost designs that provide
recreation, neighborhood services, and improve
street character. Site IA illustrates how a vacant lot
can be used as a neighborhood gathering space with
room for food trucks and moveable planters, tables,
and chairs.
Dillingham Blvd
Kalani Street
North Nimitz
m&mm
^•b "L * *<<5 (imitlti11
Figure 7. Site I location map, Kalani Street, a
private street maintained by the city, qualifies for city
maintenance under ROH §14-32. The Department of
Facility Maintenance is responsible for the maintenance
of the pavement by remedial patching, resurfacing, or
paving only.
Temporary design options include painted
pavements for curb extensions, corner bulbouts,
and full intersections to improve safety and create
identity; bollards; moveable planters, tables and
seating; and parklets. These low-cost solutions
provide immediate benefits to the neighborhood
and let the city and private property owners test
out which options could be prioritized for long-term
investment.
/0 | Site I: Kalani Street
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Shared Streets
Shared streets are streets that are shared by ali users whether they are walking, cycling,
or driving. Shared streets create inviting public spaces and improve people's comfort
and safety. Shared streets give priority to people who walk, bike, or socialize over
vehicle use, while still providing safe and slow travel for people who are driving along
the street.
Common shared street design elements include:
•	A narrowed area for people driving and cycling with adjacent pedestrian priority
areas that provide continuous pedestrian circulation and public space. These areas
are all at the same elevation, without curbs.
•	Flexible use and management of space to allow for loading, customer pick-up,
parking, dining, or even closure for festivals, depending on business and community
needs throughout the day.
•	Offsetting, or jogging, the alignment of the drive aisle to aid in traffic calming and
reinforce the pedestrian-orientation of the shared space.
•	The design provides cues to drivers that they are in a pedestrian zone and to drive
slowly through the use of planters, trees, and other elements to cause people to
deviate from driving a straight line along the street.
•	Pedestrian priority and public space areas can be defined by landscaped planters,
tree wells, bollards, light and utility poles, and other design elements. Landscaped
areas can also function as green infrastructure, collecting and treating stormwater
runoff.
•	Enhanced paving can delineate the driving and cycling area from pedestrian priority
areas and emphasize the more pedestrian nature of the entire shared street.
Pavement color, texture, and pattern are important in defining the different uses
of the shared street; providing safety cues to all users, including the disabled
community, to alert them that they are entering into a shared space, all while
fostering an attractive appearance.
•	An elevation and pavement change at the points where drivers and cyclists enter
the shared street. This is often accompanied by "gateway" features that signal to
the user when they are entering a different space. Signs can also be provided that
indicate to drivers the need to share the road with other users, and indicate a
slow speed, such as 15 miies per hour.
Figure 8. Longfellow Street in Santa Monica, CA is curbless and
has no sidewalks. The entire street can be shared by all users.
Permeable pavers and landscape planters define parking areas
and visually narrow the drive aisle. Cross street intersections are
depressed, continuing the curbless street and paver treatments
for a uniform appearance and function. Image source: Sherwood
Design Engineers
Figure 9. Industrial and commercial uses front onto Park Avenue
in Emeryville, CA. The shared street is curbless and uses brick
pavers to demark a narrowed drive aisle and parking areas.
Raised planters with palms and landscaping define parking,
seating, and pedestrian priority spaces.
Site I: Kalani Street \ 11
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Kalani Street
Figure 10. Site IA plan option. Many tools are available to improve safety, create neighborhood identity, and social
spaces. This option presents Kalani Street as a shared street that includes painted intersections, parklets, and	' ^ 40,
adaptive reuse of vacant or underutilized parcels for neighborhood benefit, including parks, food truck dining areas,
and pop up commercial enterprises. Different paving material types and colors allow the street to be delineated
into pedestrian priority and vehicle zones, and provide cues to drivers to slow down.
Shared street
Painted intersection
Adaptive reuse of vacant lot as neighborhood
gathering space with temporary food truck space,
movable planters, tables, and chairs
Permeable on-street parking and driveway areas
Boardwalk pedestrian priority area
Permeable private parking area
Rain tank for rainfall collection
O Landscape/bioretention area
Parklet associated with adjacent
market/restaurant
Permeable pedestrian priority area
Tree in grate with bollard
12 | Site I: Kalani Street
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
	
Kalani Street
Figure II. Site IB plan option. Shared street with permeable pavements to help remove stormwater runoff within
the right of way as well as define pedestrian priority areas. Street trees, planting areas, and site furnishings can
be placed to preserve and define parking, visually narrow the street to calm traffic, provide character to the
neighborhood, and help reduce the heat island effect.
Permeable pedestrian priority area
Landscape/bioretention area
Boardwalk pedestrian priority area
Tree in grate with bollards
Permeable shared street
Permeable private parking
Site I: Kalani Street | 13
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Figure 12. Kalarii Street existing condition. This
perspective shows a typical condition along Kalani
Street, with people walking in and at the edges of
the street, standing water from a rainstorm the
previous day, and the lack of landscaping and other
amenities which creates heat island effects, and an
uninviting place to walk, bike, or socialize.
Figure 13. Near-term perspective. Elements that are in color in illustrations represent new items. Temporary design
elements can be added in the near-term to test designs and take community feedback until full funding and final
designs are ready. Local businesses could provide planters and movable tables and chairs in front of their storefronts
for outdoor seating. Bollards can define pedestrian and vehicle spaces and offer physical protection for pedestrians.
Bollards come in many shapes and sizes. Here, round ball bollards are introduced as an example. The street
pavement can also be painted to define vehicle and pedestrian areas and can include street art.
14 | Site I: Kalani Street
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Figure 14. Long-term perspective. Parklets, permeable paving across the street's full width, and landscaped or stormwater
planters with street trees, add greenery, shade, and improve stormwater quality. Parklets and planters can assist in creating
curves (chicanes) that slow down traffic and create social spaces along both sides of the street.
Site I: Kalani Street \ 15
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI

Modular —
suspended
pav^irwvrt celts
kroundwater
recharge where
feasible
7
> T
„ 10' vari« „
i a* (varies 13' -20') l 6'




Landscape.'
Unw jSWsl-e- » £
ilfi
IP*
Bioretention
till
its
'—

—rr;	
l?ight-of-Way
Figure 15. Site IA section. This design option illustrates how a crowned street can
direct stormwater runoff to adjacent permeable pavement, rain gardens, landscaped
areas (where grades or other constraints prevent the ability to collect runoff for
treatment in a planter), and modular suspended pavement cells. Landscape or
bioretention areas alternate with the parking lane to define the drive aisle.
16 | Site I: Kalani Street
Modukr	
suspended
fWvMTifrit cHIss
Groundwater
feasible
j-
m
/
m.

BE JH .Jt"4
- ¦
£
ia*(vafteir?0')
I1*!
II1
Parking
and
Landscape
Permeable Drive Ais-le
4V
Right-of-Way
- SfOfmWdtef
cletenl i on/infiltia^on
dumber
Figure 16. Site IB section. This option shows a different street design strategy where
stormwater runoff infiltrates through permeable pavement within the full shared
street area. Depending upon grades and site-specific conditions, stormwater planters
add greenery and manage stormwater. Boardwalks can be used in the pedestrian
priority area to provide a walkable surface above areas that collect and infiltrate or
detain stormwater runoff.
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		Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
Site 2 focuses on improving the Kapalama drainage
channel and its adjacent open space to provide:
improved neighborhood connectivity for people
walking and bicycling; gathering spaces; improved
water quality; and flood control along the channel.
The Kapalama drainage channel is a critical
component of the existing and long-term drainage
network in the Iwilei area, which has flooding
concerns. The channel and immediate area will be
significantly impacted by sea level rise, storm surges,
king tides, high water table, and other water-related
events as water reaches its bank and flows to low
lying areas.
A two-step implementation approach can allow the
placement of tactical low-cost improvements until
full funding and land area are available for a more
comprehensive long-term approach. The near-term
concept includes a multi-use path and pedestrian
lights situated between the drainage channel and
existing parking lot. The multi-use path can continue
through the adjacent parking lot to improve
connectivity for people walking and biking to
Alakawa Street and beyond. Trash capture devices
can be placed at the mouth of storm drain outfalls
into the channel to improve water quality and limit
debris floating out to Kapalama Canal and ultimately
to the sea. A mural painted on the building elevation
facing the multi-use path can deter graffiti and
reflect the identity of the area.
The long-term design concept repurposes some
of the open space buffer and adjacent parking lots
along the channel. These areas can be used as a
raised berm with a multi-use path and a constructed
wetland to reduce flooding in the general area and
improve the quality of stormwater runoff entering
the drainage canal before it is released into the
canal. The engineered wetland is designed to
improve water quality in the channel and as sea level
rises, adapt to the rising water table and serve as an
ecological buffer to the development located behind
it. The constructed wetland could be planted with
native wetland plants and/or varieties oftaro, which
would link to the cultural history of the area and add
educational benefits.
The multi-use path would provide vital and
convenient connections for people walking and
biking. The design concept links to the future linear
park along Kapalama Canal, and provides access
to North Nimitz Highway via a bridge connection
and to Alakawa Street by connecting the street and
the adjacent multi-use path through the adjacent
parking lot. The multi-use path will also bring
people to and through the site, which is currently
not heavily visited, and users can provide "eyes on
the path" to improve safety in the area. In addition,
stormwater planters and permeable pavement could
be added to collect, slow down, treat, and recharge
stormwater runoff before it is released into the
drainage channel.
A	^ Nimitz
T"| £ 's	f • ! K?'\ni Street
' J r/-ivrl,
, f •kapalama"'1"8	"
i-, T* > Station	f23j m
Figure 17. Site 2 location map. The Kapalama drainage
channel is owned by the Department of Land and
Natural Resources (state of Hawaii); the lot on the
mauka side is owned by Honolulu Community College
(state of Hawaii); the lots on the makai side are
privately owned; and there are multiple private owners
between the channel and Alakawa Street.
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel \ 17
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Hnnduki CrwnrnunRf
Colkjps
New crosswalk
Connection to Alakawa Street; alignment to be determined
and coordinated with landowners
Improved debris capture system for stormwater outflow
18 | Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel

Figure 18. Near-term concept.
Temporary design options
include a multi-use path
along the channel connecting
Kokea and Alakawa Streets
and pedestrian lights. New
crosswalks across existing
parking lots and additional
paths would help provide safe
access, to the multi-use path.
o 100' 200'
Wayfinding signage for multi-use path
Multi-use path with lighting
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		Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Figure 19. Long-term concept
Workshop participants
expressed interest in
extending a street and path
for people to drive, walk,
and bike between Kokea
and Alakawa Streets to
significantly improve area
circulation. The design option
includes permeable paving
and stormwater planters, a
constructed wetland, and
landscape areas.
100'
200
i^|[ Improved intersection crosswalk
0 Pedestrian activated flashing signal lights	O
Multi-use path; alignment to be determined
and coordinated with landowners
^ New street connection; alignment to be
determined and coordinated with landowners
Bike boulevard to North Nimitz Highway
Improved debris capture system for
stormwater outflow
Wayfinding signage for multi-use path
Inlet to constructed wetland and pump basin
to bring water into constructed wetland for
treatment
Multi-use path with pedestrian lighting
Regrade paved areas to drain to bioretention
planters, with optional permeable pavement
in paved areas with bioretention to help
manage heavier rain storms
O Multi-use path bridge to North Nimitz Highway
Overlook area
Multi-use path connection to the Kapalama Canal
Catalytic Project
O Constructed wetland
Outlet of constructed wetland back to drainage
channel
Potential pedestrian bridge proposed through
Kapalama Canal Catalytic Project
0 II fit S J fifl 5IVI0II1
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel \ 19
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Figure 20. Kapalama drainage channel existing condition. The Kapalama drainage channel and adjacent open
space buffer are isolated and unimproved, with a fence cutting off access between Kokea and Alakawa Streets.
The isolation of the area encourages undesirable activities such as graffiti painting and littering, and inhibits
circulation in an area that has poor connectivity.
Figure 21. Near term perspective. This view shows elements such as murals, pedestrian lighting, and a multi-use path
that can be provided and create initial community benefit for improved access, security, and beautification.
20 | Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Figure 22. Long term perspective. Drainage and stormwater infrastructure such as this constructed wetland can be attractive, meet
community open space and water quality goals, and visually educate about sustainability and water treatment. A bridge spans the water
elements to provide direct and convenient access to neighborhood streets from the multi-use path.
Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel \ 21
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Height of grade
cliange to be
determined based on
future sea level rise
studies and drainage
plan of watershed.
¦ Future water level
and free board shown
is only for illustrative
purpose?.
f *


Lr
	-rw^Tv:	-ft---
Varies
Kapalama
Oainage
Channel
(existincj-
12-18'
Varies
Constructed wetland
with intermittent overlooks
3'
12*
l.S'
H-
Varies
20
Multi-use path !J| Landscape
£
Trave! lanes
'	(of bjko clearance
anil jcxjq^g trail
-
Permeable B io-ctentkxv
fwrkl^vg
Varies
Future campus developmen: area
3 5
Figure 23. Kapalama drainage channel long-term section option. A constructed wetland can aid in improving the water quality of some of the drainage from the Iwilei
stormwater outfall while creating an interesting landscape element. Water from the drainage channel would require pumping to the wetland for treatment. As sea level rise
continues, the wetland would become part of the channel. A multi-use path on a raised berm and pedestrian bridge crossing improves and extends area circulation, creates
and continues an open space buffer, and reduces flooding from sea level rise.
22 | Site 2: Kapalama Drainage Channel
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		Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street
Site three is a brownfield site (a former
industrial or commercial site where future use
or redevelopment may be impacted by actual or
perceived contamination) undergoing remediation
and was chosen to demonstrate the potential for
using sustainable and resilient building and site
design techniques within development projects.
The area around the site has flooding concerns and
the entire Kapalama and Iwilei area is characterized
by diminishing freshwater supplies to meet future
development needs, according to the state of Hawaii
Commission on Water Resource Management.
Design options for site three include an innovative
infrastructure design in an Ecoblock model, defined
as a single building, block, neighborhood, or district
that incorporates decentralized water and energy
infrastructure strategies. An Ecoblock approach to
site three could build resilience, reduce the energy
and water footprints of the development, create
community spaces, and stiil provide a good return
on investment for the developer (See Case Study 3:
Ecoblock for more information).
The design concept uses the following design
approaches to create an Ecoblock:
•	Energy: A combination of photovoltaic cells
or other renewable energy systems such as
wind turbines and energy-efficient building,
iighting, and electrical technologies can be used
to meet the energy demands and lessen the
development's carbon footprint
•	Water: The buildings can include onsite water
capture and reuse systems. Stormwater,
condensation from air cooling systems, greywater
from sinks and laundry, and wastewater can all
be collected, treated, and reused for nonpotable
uses such as, but not limited to, toilet flushing,
irrigation, water features, and fire suppression.
• Stormwater and flood management:
•	Use sustainable approaches including
onsite green infrastructure and low impact
development (LID) practices to alleviate
flooding concerns, treat stormwater, create
ecological habitats, and reduce the heat island
affect. More specifically:
•	Green roofs can provide stormwater
management benefits as well as offer
community gathering spaces, insulation that
could enhance the building's energy efficiency,
and offer agricultural zones in the urban core
to support local food initiatives.
•	Public open spaces that can be artfully
designed as "water plazas" including areas that
would be allowed to flood when it rains or
as groundwater levels rise overtime to help
retain water.
For the Ecoblock buildings located within current
or future flood zones (based on sea level rise
predictions), some strategies for preventing future
flood damage and building resiliency include but
are not limited to: raising the elevations of the
base floors to a minimum height determined by
drainage planning based on projected sea level rise;
anchoring underground and above ground tanks;
relocating building systems (cables, backup power,
water storage systems, air conditioners, etc.); and
placement of onsite infrastructure components
(wastewater treatment, nonpotable water storage,
photovoltaics, meters, and any associated batteries
and controls, etc.) to higher floors or elevations.
While the actual program of the site is to be
determined, charrette participants felt strongly
that the Pacific Street and Iwilei Road intersection
include a public park to address a severe lack of
public open space in the area and be visible along
KAPALAMA
Pacific Street
North
Highway
Figure 24. Site 3 location map. The parcel is privately
owned; Pacific Street is partly owned by the state
and maintained by the city; and Iwilei Road is owned
by the city.
Iwilei Road to offer "eyes on the street" and the
park. New and improved streets adjacent to this
parcel can increase multimodal connectivity and
reduce circuitous and time-consuming routes,
thereby supporting people's choice to walk or bike.
In addition, the design concepts illustrate how active
uses and architectural design along the building's
ground floor can increase visual interest and street
character that in turn, can encourage people to walk
and linger. Architectural design strategies include
placing dwelling units, commercial uses, and other
active uses along the street and "hiding" the interior
parking lot structure, and facing entries, doors, and
windows onto the street.
The potential for capturing and (re)using water
resources that are available onsite to meet
nonpotable water demands is represented in the
following series of exhibits.
Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street | 23
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
100%
(Van-able)
Water features
VariaMe %
Cooing
irrigation
Variable %
Fire protection
Variable %
Toilet flushing
Blacl; water:
toilels. krtchen sank
Greywater:
sinks, laundry, showers'baths
BUILDING NONPOTA8LE WATER RESOURCES
(TYP. RESIDENTIAL}
Total building wastewater
Stormwater capture:
Building roof. hardscapes
Condensate recovery
Key;
"Assumes tropical & humid climate
Reference EPA typical indoor household water use
Nonpwabl® wafer [	ftw
available for irejuse /nonpotable water!
% of building
, water deman
(EPA) J
' nonpotafcfe''
water
I % amiable tor
capture 1® »«g*
Figure 25. Building Nonpotable Water Resources (typical residential unit).
24 | Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street
This diagram shows: I) Source water by type and
their respective percentages of the total wastewater
volume available for treatment and reuse, and
2) Nonpotable water end-uses and their typical
respective percentages of the total water demand.
Comparing source volumes with end-use demands
can be used during the design process to plan
for the capture and (re)use of nonpotable water
sources to meet onsite nonpotable water demands.
To note, the blackwater (toilets and kitchen water)
percentage of available water for reuse is Q%, since
it would likely not be cost-effective to produce
recycled water from these sources alone due to
the high volume of solids. Foam flush, commercial-
grade compost toilets, however, could be an
option to save on potable water for toilet flushing.
Alternatively, when the blackwater is combined with
greywater, 100% of the water can be treated to
be recycled to various nonpotable end-uses cost-
effectively.
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Rain
M
4	
Rainwater
catchment


LEGEND:
Biofilter
Bioretention
Sources of nonpotable water:
Nonpotable water

4 4
Condensate — Greywater
| End uses receiving
4
— Blackwater - -100% wastewater
nonpotable water
i
1
Stormwater from buildin9

Recharge groundwater
Water feature	Irrigation
Fire surppression Cooling
*
I
<
Nonpotable
water storage
Figure 26. Road map for nonpotable water capture and (re)use diagram
Toilet
3L
i/ \i
11

Constructed wetland
(orothertechnology)
wastewater treatment plant
Kitchen sink	Shower	Bathroom sink Washing machine
izssa.

The above diagram provides visual demonstration of potential sources of nonpotable water and viable end uses for the nonpotable water such as water features,
irrigation, fire suppression, makeup water for cooling, and toilet flushing. The sources of nonpotable water include stormwater, blackwater, greywater, and
condensate are indicated by their respective line colors.
For blackwater and greywater, the arrows first point to a treatment system (constructed wetlands technology) before supplying the various nonpotable end-uses
since these sources would require more robust treatment before reuse.
Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street \ 25
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Arcade
Building
Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
In the sections below, the sidewalk is disjoined
from the street edge, raised to the finished
floor elevation, and buffered with landscape or
bioretention, to demonstrate concepts that provide
refuge and reduce flooding and sea levei rise
impacts. In a more traditional scenario, where the
sidewalk and street edge are joined at the curb,
access along the street and building frontage for
pedestrian access options from the sidewalk level
to building level can occur by the use of ramps or
stairs. The space between, where no direct access
from street to building is needed, is designed as a
landscape or bioretention area.
Figure 27. Conceptual plan depicting entrances to site.
iH


Storm water
detention."1
infiltration
chambef
I if
111
d 1?
" i ft
-J aa
I2
i it
3_aT
5 (t
niradi

uti'ily (Ium
Existing grade
Figure 28A. Building relation to street
option, section A- at Ramp
111 f IS J4
£ $ if	o *
" 3| >
Figure 28B. Building relation to street
option, section B- at Stairs
Figure 28C. Building relation to street
option, section C- at Bioretention

-f xi*.tinq
cp.fcdo-
Uridcf ground —
ulHily dvtv
Stormwater **""
detention/
Infiltration
chamber
Si 5 o-
! "O
i 'Jfi
2* ?
o jj
h
•2 t
Figure 28D. Building relation to street
option, section D- through alternative
with elevated sidewalk
and no on-street parking
261 Site 3: Development Opportunities at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street
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'Residential
Residential
Residentia
Residential
Residentia
Residential
Active Uses
Parking
"Height of building to be determined
^1' Nonpotable water available for reuse
for irrigation, flushing toilets, fire
suppression etc,
Nonpotable water storage for (re)use
inside building: rainwater catchment,
condensate, reclaimed water (R-l)
(Q: Wastewater treatment
Community gardens and passive and
active green roof space
^Existing Grade
jH) Shade structure with photovoltai
cells
Raised building floor elevation
Photovoltaic cell awnings
O Constructed wetlands, as part of the
wastewater treatment system
Figure 29, Section through building with Ecoblock features.
Site 3:Dev<
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
The conceptual ecoblock building is a prototype for
buildings susceptible to flooding due to sea level
rise or natural disasters. The example demonstrates
protecting critical infrastructure and building
systems by raising them onto higher floors. Where
flooding or sea level is not a concern, building
systems and infrastructure can be placed in areas at
or below existing grade.
at Iwilei Road and Pacific Street \ 2 7
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet
The North Nimitz Highway couplet is a primary
route into and out of Downtown and Waikiki.
This portion of North Nimitz Highway carries
heavy traffic traveling at high speeds, and has
limited pedestrian and bicycle facilities. North
Nimitz acts as a barrier to the waterfront, and
needs a better visual character as an important
gateway to downtown. The area is proposed to
be rezoned for higher densities and a wider mix
of uses to implement the TOD plans recently
approved to support the Honolulu rail transit line.
As this development occurs, the demand for a
comfortable and safe environment for all users and
people walking and cycling will increase. The Hawaii
Department of Transportation, Harbors Division is
integral in exploring TOD opportunities on some
of its surplus properties makai of Nimitz Highway.
They have asked the city to include a group of
properties in the Iwilei/Kapalama infrastructure
planning for the area. These design concepts are
intended to better link those properties with the
neighboring rail stations.
The concepts include a near-term and a long-term
design approach. The near-term design concept
maintains the one-way couplet (i.e. paired one-
way streets with the private parcels between), and
number of vehicle lanes. Space for multi-use paths
located at the sidewalk level is provided by reducing
the vehicle lane widths. This improves multimodal
circulation, and supports people's choices to walk or
bike. The addition of trees improves the character
of the street and reduces the heat island effect by
shading the pavement.
The long-term design concept reorganizes the
couplet into two streets with traffic traveling in
both directions that are designed to serve different
transportation purposes, rather than combining
all the traffic in two one-way streets. This allows
for transforming the mauka (mountain) side into a
two-way narrowed main street and reconfiguring
the makai (ocean) side as a two-way four-lane
road with facilities for people walking and cycling.
The reorganization of the couplet into these two
different streets allows the port and commute
traffic to travel efficiently along the two-way
highway, and allows for a lower speed and more
comfortable place to walk and bicycle along the
main street which will better serve the new TOD.
Raised bicycle lanes provide safer places to ride with
more separation from adjacent traffic. Traffic signals
and on-demand pedestrian crossing warning lights at
intersections and mid-block crossings provide a safer
and more comfortable street crossing experience
for people walking and biking. New development
along the main street can provide additional housing
and commercial opportunities for this redeveloping
area In addition, the main street blocks can be
elevated to reduce future flooding from sea level
rise, higher storm surges, and tsunamis.
The use of stormwater planters and modular
suspended pavement cells can aid in the collection
and treatment of stormwater runoff in constrained
spaces and urban environments. Stormwater
detention/infiltration storage chambers placed under
the roadway do not take up developable space and
can be used to recharge and/or store stormwater
runoff.
i.
r
2	A...
Highway
Figure 30. Site 4 location map.
under the state's jurisdiction.
Nimitz Highway is
Vision to support transit-oriented development
r~— EXISTING
High-speed, one-way highway couplet
with minimal pedestrian amenities;
uncomfortable pedestrian and bicyclist
^^^_^^^_ex£e ri ejnce^^^^^^^^y

NEAR TERM
Create a complete street with improved
pedestrian and bicycle facilities and streetscape.

LONG TERM
Separate the one-way highway couplet into a two-way
Main Street and two-way throughway. Potential to raise

Main Street area above future sea level rise elevation
28 | Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report

I i \ t i

-JJ	.l-'HHl.iij
t f t t t
L V L S' L	ir
+	—+	<
SfdrwalL Parking E>Ve
Larw
Travd
Lane
Travd
Line
Travel
Lane
Tiavd
Lane
Sidewalk
47
PedeiErMiOteiiftg DiiUnce
Tsarrd
Lane
Travel
Lane
Travel
Lane
Travel
Lane

Eke Sidewalk landbtape
Lane
PednCiMfi Grcrt-Mflg Dismantle
n*
Right-of-Way
Maufc#
Right-af-Way
Motor
Figure 31. Existing section. North Nimitz Highway is designed to move traffic quickly into and out of the city, but does not fully support other modes of
transportation, including transit options and people walking and biking. The lack of street trees and wide expanse of pavement also increases the heat
island effect.
Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet | 29
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
-
6" mi a 6' mim
Varies. Varies
6'

11'

11*
ir ^ 10 l





Mu1U-Um? fatti
1

Travel
Travel
Travel
Travel Stdawalk
FVde»li»an Bkyde
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t

lim'
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tr
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-
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l*n*
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larw
6 n>in. 6'min.
u Ulfl*s> ¦ Varies.
nr
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
ModularSuspended

StoirrwattM
deTKyvlnfi*»rAtj«on cKambp?
IMotcfQrojotf	I
irtllicy ckis*	*
pawrrwit
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i- <' L L 10' t
lr
10
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—ft
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E3w? Parking ' Travel
Lane 5 ^ Lane
Tom
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ir
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_= ^ Way
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1
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sea krvri riw?itudios and drainage pbn 0f watershed
fV-rfMttun t rnwng Qittanr*
75'
RiQiht 
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
N.+iraitillWtSl
Si!T-rj
^ New signal
New street segment
New/expanded public open space
Pedestrian circulation
Bike circulation
Vehicle circulation
Direction of travel
100' 4QQ'
Figure 34. Long-term concept. The addition of vehicle and on-demand pedestrian signals, and narrowed street crossing widths provide a more comfortable and convenient
street crossing experience for pedestrians. Adding bike facilities can encourage more people to ride. Separating truck and commute traffic from neighborhood traffic supports
a main street character on the mauka side with slower traffic, encouraging more people to walk and linger along the street, as well as enhancing the accessibility and
development potential of harbor front parcels.
32 | Site 4: North Nimitz Highway Couplet
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
5. Next Steps and Funding
The design options presented in this report, as well as associated planning and policy efforts currently
undertaken by the city, could catalyze a range of improvements in the Iwilei and Kapalama neighborhoods.
During the three-day charrette, the various stakeholders and experts identified the following policies,
partnerships, and funding sources that could help the city and its partners implement the design options
illustrated and discussed in this report.
similar to other cities such as Chicago, where
developments that are incorporating green
features can qualify for expedited permitting and
reduced permittees, and property tax incentives
• Require or incentivize green roofs. Encourage
developers to build green roofs as part of their
resiliency and sustainability planning since flooding
is a concern in these areas and green roofs would
mitigate stormwater runoff. Some U.S. cities offer
grants or other matching funds for integrating
green roofs with new development projects,
including Washington D.C.'s Green Roof Rebate
Program, New York City's tax rebate program,
and Chicago's Green Roof Grant and Cool
Roofs Grant programs. In addition, San Francisco
recently became the first U.S. city to require that
most new construction provide between 15 and
30 percent of the roof area to be covered with
either landscape, solar panels, or both, under
their Better Roofs Ordinance.2
Implementation Strategies
Policy
•	Develop policies and guidance for shared
streets and living alleys. Develop a process
and cohesive design guidance for designers and
community members regarding how to achieve
shared streets and living alleys.
•	Develop shared street districts and plans. The
adoption of a shared street district plan could
expand the application and impact of design
options for Kalani Street to different streets and
neighborhoods.
•	Study and implement green infrastructure
design guidelines and policies. Develop green
infrastructure design guidelines and policies, and
especially focus on how these elements can be
integrated into street and public space projects,
and implement them. The design options
identified in this report illustrate how permeable
paving, stormwater planters, tree wells, rain
gardens, and other techniques can be used to
capture, slow, treat, and infiltrate runoff prior to
it moving downstream.
•	Incentivize green building practices through
expedited permitting. Incentivize projects
seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) or other green building
standards to also include stormwater runoff
reduction or other water resource management
strategies by creating a "green permit program"
Update the Uniform Plumbing Code to include
the (re)use of nonpotable water back inside
buildings. Presently the city is using the 2006
Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), which allows
greywater reuse, but for irrigation only. Updating
the base plumbing code to the UPC 2012 version
and including chapters 16 and 17 within the
2. City and County of San Francisco. Ordinance amending
the Planning Code and Green Building Code to establish
requirements for certain new building construction facilitating
development of renewable energy facilities and living roofs:
setting an operative date of January I, 2017, Ordinance No.
221-16, Amended in Committee 10/17/16. http://sfbos.org/
sites/defauIt/fi Ies/o0221 -16.pdf. Accessed October 2, 2017.
Next Steps and Funding | 33
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
code would provide a pathway for developers
and building owners to replace potable water
resources with nonpotable sources for use back
inside the building.
•	Develop an ordinance on new development
in water-restricted areas. Require new
developments within certain locations and of a
certain size to use nonpotable water for end uses
such as flushing toilets, irrigation, water features,
fire suppression, and cooling. The ordinance
could support distributed infrastructure systems
and reduce potable water use especially in areas
where groundwater supplies are limited. This
type of ordinance would also support disaster
preparedness by diversifying available water
supplies in these communities in the event
repairs are required on the municipal water
systems following a disaster.
•	Incentivize on-site rainwater harvesting and
stormwater management. Encourage on-
site rainwater harvesting and stormwater
management to property owners and developers
through rebates, reduced fees, and public
education to obtain and use cisterns and rain
barrels, connect downspouts to landscape
areas, and increase pervious surfaces to reduce
the amount of runoff and flooding occurring in
streets and other areas. The EPA's Municipal
Handbook, found at https://www.epa.gov/
green-infrastructure/policy-guides, provides
guidance for policies on rainwater harvesting and
stormwater management.
•	Implement a stormwater fee.Implementing a
stormwater fee designed for developments of
a certain scale could encourage developers to
minimize impervious areas and implement green
infrastructure strategies. The city could then use
fees to support a rebate program to encourage
smaller land owners to also implement
sustainable stormwater practices and fund
maintenance of green infrastructure in public
rights of way. Useful information on how to set
up a stormwater fee and other funding options
can be found at https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/green-infrastructure-funding-
opportunities#Funding%20Tools.
Update building codes to address floods. Enact
new building codes that include raising base floor
elevations to designated heights in identified
future "flood-prone" areas or adopt other codes
designed to protect critical building systems and
new infrastructure from flood impacts and their
strategic locations.
Increase of city revenues to augment Capital
Improvement Project (CIP) funding could aid in
realizing more transportation and infrastructure
improvements. Capital improvement projects
could include multimodal complete streets,
shared streets and living alleys, pedestrian and
bicycle trail facilities, street trees and landscaping,
green stormwater infrastructure, drainage
and flood prevention infrastructure, Ecoblock
distributed water and energy infrastructure,
and other climate resiliency systems and
infrastructure.
Planning and Design
•	Identify and cultivate key partnerships. Identify
and cultivate key partnerships with community
stakeholders to implement green and complete
street concepts, create gateways, improve and
unify the streetscape, and support the larger
goals for the Iwilei and Kapalama neighborhoods.
Formal partnerships may also help the city
identify clear roles for stakeholders, businesses,
and others in sponsoring and maintaining interim
improvements, such as parklets, planters, bulb
outs, and pedestrian refuge islands.
•	Work with the state and Honolulu Community
College to design and construct an interim
multi-use trail along Kapalama drainage channel
and work on longer-term efforts. Work with
state and college representatives to design and
construct a temporary multi-use path to provide
convenient and comfortable access for people to
walk and bike in an area that limits public access.
In the long-term, work on creating a constructed
wetland and elevated multi-use trail along
Kapalama drainage channel. Devise solutions
to address sea level rise, pedestrian and bicycle
connectivity and mobility, and water quality in
a cohesive manner that meets the goals of all
participants. As part of the College's Long Range
Development Plan update, they can evaluate
and determine access and future space and use
needs and how that may affect planning and
circulation in this area (Kokea Street Campus).
These actions should be done in conjunction
with, or based upon, the forthcoming/future
drainage master plan for this area. It would
be strategic to plan for implementation of the
drainage channel improvements in coordination
with implementation of the strategies defined in
the Kapalama Canal Catalytic Project.
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•	Work with property owners in the vicinity
of Alakawa Street and the Kapalama drainage
channel to provide for safer pedestrian and
bicycle travel. Work with adjacent property
owners to obtain an access easement or right
of way and provide improved pedestrian and
bicycle facilities, so people can walk and bike
in a more comfortable and safe way between
Kapalama Canal, Alakawa Street, and North
Nimitz Highway.
•	Develop access, improvement, and maintenance
agreements between neighborhood groups and
the city for private streets. Various agreements
will be needed for the city to design, construct,
and/or maintain private street pavement, utilities,
and other elements. The city and neighborhood
representatives and property owners will need
to resolve this issue before public work and
funding can be used on a private street.
•	Establish public/private agreements for
shared collection and treatment facilities
with adjacent private property owners.
Defining responsibilities for implementation,
operations, management, and maintenance of
green infrastructure will help ensure that it is
implemented and functional over the long term.
•	Implement pilot programs and pursue near-
term and temporary street improvements. The
placement of near-term options could be done
through pilot projects and temporary street
facilities to show the community the possibilities
for reusing public rights of way, and serve as a
showcase for the full project. The interventions
could improve pedestrian safety, calm traffic,
and enhance the attractiveness of a street and
neighborhood, as well as create a sense of place.
Collect community feedback and comments
on pilot project to inform longer-term, larger
projects, as well as implement near-term and
temporary street improvements.
At a later phase, as funding is obtained,
bioretention planters, permeable paving,
additional landscaping, seating and other
pedestrian amenities, lighting, and overhead
utilities placed underground could be installed.
By implementing interim improvements, the
city and neighborhood could promote a larger
shared street project and spur additional private
partnerships, create business reinvestment and
development, or help to garner grant funding.
Techniques for near-term, temporary (to
permanent), and pilot projects include:
•	"Tactical urbanism" is an approach to
temporary neighborhood interventions
that uses short-term, low-cost, and scalable
interventions and policies to catalyze long-
term change.
•	Pavement-to-parks projects repurpose
portions of a street from vehicle use to public
open space by closing off traffic lanes or
parking areas with the use of street furniture,
paint, and/or planters to define a pedestrian
space.
•	Installations could be scheduled to have their
opening coupled with other community
events, such as Bike to Work Day or
Park(ING) Day (third Friday in September).
• Consider landscaped buffer separation between
bicycle facilities and vehicle lanes. Recent
protected bike lanes in Honolulu have been
created using paint and bollards. Implement
narrow landscape median planters as a buffer to
separate and protect bicyclists from vehicles and
to provide pervious areas and more attractive
streetscapes.
•	Utilize pedestrian-activated crossing signals.
On-demand pedestrian-activated crossing
signals could be considered at "mid-block"
locations along wide streets with fast-moving
cars and where there are long distances
between signalized intersections. These
pedestrian-activated signals can make people
safer and more comfortable crossing larger
streets.
•	Expand the use of public/private open space.
Private developments could manage public
open spaces and relieve the city of funding
and maintaining these spaces. These privately-
owned public open spaces could create an
active community presence while creating value
for private commercial and residential uses. San
Francisco, CA has a program called Privately-
owned Public Open Space (POPOS) in which
developers provided publicly accessible open
spaces such as plazas, small parks, and atriums
that they maintain in exchange for receiving
a density bonus, as a condition of project
approval, or provided voluntarily for certain
commercial and residential projects. Information
on this program can be found at http://sf-
planning.org/privately-owned-public-open-
space-and-public-art-popos.
•	Develop a city community garden program.
There are many opportunities within the study
areas where underutilized street right of way
or other vacant lands could be turned into
community gardens. The city can partner with
the community to identify the appropriate areas
to place community gardens and work together
to establish the community gardens. Raised
beds can be used in potentially contaminated
areas.
•	Identify maintenance responsibilities. Per city
requirements, when construction plans are
developed for projects, the identification of
maintenance responsibilities of landscape areas,
Next Steps and Funding | 35
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
trees, irrigation systems, parklets, special painted
intersections/crosswalks, wetlands, bioretention/
green infrastructure, permeable concrete/porous
asphalt, and other special features will need to be
identified and coordinated with the city.
•	Consider the use of green infrastructure
measures not currently used or used
infrequently. Explore the use of modular
pavement support cells and permeable
pavements to manage and treat stormwater.
These systems are already used in many
communities to limit stormwater runoff and
improve tree health and irrigation. Many
new technologies and products are available.
Consider implementing pilot programs to
construct and study these measures. This should
include exploration of equipment needed for
maintenance, such as on-going street sweeping
and periodic vacuuming of the permeable
pavement.
•	Resolve jurisdictional ownership. As projects
are considered and move forward, various
jurisdictional issues will need to be addressed and
resolved by all pertinent parties.
•	Plan for future floods and sea level rise.
Undertake a drainage study to determine future
flood risks under future conditions, including
during larger intensity storms (100-year and
500-year rainfall events), king tides, and storm
surges. Results of such a study could help the city
identify where to avoid new development and to
identify strategies to address flooding.
•	Reduce disaster risk. Coordinate with city
and state agencies to identify shared goals,
development strategies, funding, policies, and
guidance for reducing risks within any new
investments.
36 | Next Steps and Funding
EPA's Smart Growth Fixes for Climate Adaptation
and Resilience: Changing Land Use and Building
Codes to Prepare for Climate Change and other
documents can provide information and form
a basis of conversation. Smart Growth Fixes
for Climate Adaptation and Resilience "outlines
more than 70 policies local government officials,
staff, and boards can consider using to help
adapt to current or projected flooding and
extreme precipitation, sea level rise and storm
surge, extreme heat, drought, and wildfire.
These policies range from modest adjustments
to wholesale changes, giving communities a
range of options to consider depending on their
needs and context. The publication includes
examples of communities implementing these
policies, resources for more information, and
metrics that communities could use taken from
three community-scale sustainability rating
systems."J
• Integrate design options into local Hazard
Mitigation Plan (HMP). Work with the Oahu
Hazard Mitigation Planning committee to include
some of the resilience design approaches into
the local HMP update, which could make them
eligible for implementation funding through
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
3. EPA. Smart Growth for Climate Adaptation and
Resilience, https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/
files/2017-0 l/documents/smart growth fixes climate
adaptation resilience.pdf. October 2. 2017.
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Funding
The use of green and complete street techniques,
and climate resiliency strategies can help projects
compete for limited infrastructure and other
improvement funding from regional, state, and
federal agencies, and these approaches can be
easily integrated with other street, building, and site
improvements for multiple benefits.
Local stakeholders identified several potential
funding sources that the city and its partners can
use to implement the design options described
in this report. The city is currently developing an
infrastructure assessment and district financing
strategy for the Iwilei/Kapalama area that could
include funding for some of these longer-term
strategies. The design team also researched and
suggests additional potential funding sources. These
funding sources include:
Federal and National Sources
EPA Programs
• The Water Infrastructure and Resiliency
Finance Center provides the Water Finance
Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse), "a web based
portal, [which] helps communities make informed
financing decisions for their drinking water,
wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure
needs. The Water Finance Clearinghouse
gives local decision makers an opportunity to
search for available funding sources for water
infrastructure as well as resources (such as
reports, webpages, and webinars) on financing
mechanisms and approaches that can help
communities access capital to meet their water
infrastructure needs. State, federal, local, and
foundation funding sources and resources on
public-private partnerships, asset management
practices, revenue models, and affordability
approaches are included in the Clearinghouse."4
In addition, the Water Finance Center offers
financing information to aid in the protection of
public health and the environment."-'
•	The Office of Water offers many grants and
funding sources. The Clean Water State
Revolving Fund (CWSRF) provides eligibility
to projects aimed to manage nonpoint source
pollution, recapture stormwater, and reduce
water use. Another program is the Green
Project Reserve which provides water quality
financing to help communities meet the goals of
the Clean Water Act. Nonpoint source pollution
control and green infrastructure can be eligible
for funding through this program. Section 106
Water Pollution Control Grants provide
assistance to build and sustain effective water
quality programs.
•	The Urban Waters Small Grants Program
funds research, training, and studies that advance
the restoration of urban waters by improving
water quality through activities supportive
of community revitalization and other local
priorities. Grants of up to $60,000 have been
awarded. About 19 percent of recent grants have
been given to advance green infrastructure.
•	Clean Water Act Section 319 grants are
directed to demonstration projects that reduce
nonpoint source pollution. Green infrastructure
elements could be eligible for funding through
this program.
•	Brownfields Program works to protect the
environment, promote partnerships, and facilitate
sustainable reuse. Brownfields grants and
technical assistance give communities and other
4.	EPA. Water Finance Clearinghouse, https://www.epa.gov/
waterfinancecenter/water-finance-clearinghouse. Accessed
October 2, 2017.
5.	EPA. Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center,
https://www.epa.gov/waterfinancecenter. Accessed October
2, 2017.
stakeholders resources to prevent, assess, and
cleanup properties where the potential presence
of a hazardous substance may complicate
sustainable reuse. Sites within the project area
may be eligible. The city has already received
a Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment
Grant for TOD areas and has been accepted for
a second round of funding.
•	Under the Targeted Brownfields Assessment
OMi, EPA funds a contractor to assess a
brownfield site where contamination is real or
potential constraint, research historical property
uses, conduct environmental sampling, identify
cleanup options, and estimate associated cleanup
costs. Applicants can access up to $100,000
worth of technical assistance for eligible
properties. Privately owned properties are
eligible under certain conditions. EPA also has a
Brownfields Cleanup grant program established
for each state. The city could apply for this grant
to aid in the cleanup of contaminated sites.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (N0AA) Programs
•	Coastal Resilience Grants provide assistance
to coastal communities to "improve their ability
to prepare for and recover from a variety of
coastal threats, including hurricanes, tsunamis,
and sea level rise. Project focus areas include
flood protection, infrastructure improvement,
restoration of coastal habitat, and proactive
community planning initiatives. The emphasis
is on protecting life and property, safeguarding
people and infrastructure, strengthening the
economy, and conserving and restoring coastal
and marine resources.'"1.
6. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2017
NOAA Resilience Grants, https://www.coast.noaa.gov/
resilience-grant/. Accessed October 2, 2017.
Next Steps and Funding | 37
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
•	The Marine Debris Program provides funding for
projects that help to prevent marine debris from
entering the marine and coastal environments
through targeted behavior change.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance
Programs
•	Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PPM) Grant Program.
PDM grants assist in the development and
implementation of sustained pre-disaster natural
hazard mitigation programs. It aims to reduce
the overall risk to people and structures from
future hazard events, and to reduce reliance
upon federal funding when such disasters occur.
This program can help fund the preparation of
a hazard mitigation plan for Honolulu as well as
provide funding for projects identified in FEMA's
approved hazard mitigation plan for the city that
supports pre-disaster initiatives.7
•	Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program.
The FMA program is intended to help reduce
or eliminate claims under the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP). FMA provides funding
both for planning and projects that aim to reduce
or eliminate flood risk. For funding projects, an
approved FEMA mitigation plan is required to
qualify.
•	Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
HMGP helps communities to implement hazard
mitigation measures following a Presidential
Major Disaster Declaration. Hence, this funding
can only be requested following a disaster.
7. FEMA. Pre-disaster Mitigation Grant Program, https://www.
fema.gov/pre-disaster-mitigation-grant-program. Accessed
October 2, 2017.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Programs
•	The Highway Safety Improvement Program
(HSIP) makes annual allotments to HDOT, and
complete streets are an eligible use of the funds.
•	Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage
Development, or BUILD. Transportation
Discretionary Grant program replaces the
TIGER grant program and provides grants
to fund capital improvements in surface
transportation infrastructure that have significant
local or regional impact. These are evaluated
on criteria that includes safety, economic
competitiveness, quality of life, environmental
protection, state of good repair, innovation,
partnership and additional non-Federal
revenue for future transportation infrastructure
investments.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) Programs
•	Community Compass Technical Assistance
and Capacity Building Program can provide
funding for projects that focus on community and
economic development, disaster resilience, green
infrastructure, and green development in public
housing operations and programs.
•	The Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) Program offers the Section 108 Loan
Guarantee Program. Section 108 provides
financing for a range of development-related
projects including public facilities and site
improvements. These loans can act as a catalyst
for private development. CDBG funds allocated
to the city for use in low to moderate income
areas could be used to implement the design
options.
Other Programs
•	Partners for Places (a partnership between
the Urban Sustainability Directors Network
(USDN) and the Funders' Network for Smart
Growth and Livable Communities (TFN))
provides grants to enable "cities and counties to
improve communities by building partnerships
between local government sustainability
offices and place-based foundations. National
funders invest in local projects to promote
a healthy environment, a strong economy,
and well-being of all residents.8 Funding for
2017 (Round Eleven) included "support [for]
green stormwater infrastructure projects that
advance water-related sustainability goals.
The Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange,
a new practitioner network supporting green
infrastructure communities, is a partner to
USDN and TFN for the green stormwater
infrastructure projects.'""
•	The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit maintains
a listing of funding sources related to a range
of climate change and resiliency issues including
sustainability, drought recovery, natural resources
conservation, agricultural management assistance,
urban heat adaptation, and more. It also provides
information related to building resiliency, case
studies, tools, and other topics.10 One section of
8.	Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable
Communities. Partners for Places, https://www.
fundersnetwork.org/request-for-proposals-now-available-for-
partners-for-places-round-eleven/. Accessed October 2, 2017.
9.	Ibid. The "general grant program is supported by Bloomberg
Philanthropies. The JPB Foundation. Kendeda Fund. New
York Community Trust. The Summit Foundation, and Surdna
Foundation, with support for green infrastructure projects
provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family
Foundation and the Pisces Foundation."
10.	W.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. Funding Opportunities,
https://toolkit.climate.gov/content/funding-opportunities.
Accessed October 2, 2017.
38 | Next Steps and Funding
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
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the website is dedicated to case study projects in
Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.1
•	The Federal Transit Administration provides an
Emergency Relief Program grant, which can
help fund public transportation project repair or
replacement, or protection of facilities that are
in danger of suffering or has suffered significant
damage from a disaster such as a flood or
hurricane.
•	The Economic Development Administration
offers the Economic Development Assistance
program, a grant which can provide funding for
projects which foster job creation and attract
private investors, and encourage development
in economically distressed areas of the United
States.
•	New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) help to
increase the flow of funds to low income
communities and businesses by providing
tax incentives to investors, helping economic
development in communities that need it the
most. Potential development sites in the project
area may qualify for NMTC.
•	Transportation for America, a program of Smart
Growth America, "offers Cultural Corridor
Consortium grants of $50,000 to three cities
working to integrate creative placemaking
with transportation investments. The program
is focused on funding collaborative projects
that expand transportation opportunities
for communities that have experienced
disproportionate disinvestment."12
•	Through the Rivers. Trails, and Conservation
Assistance Program, "the National Park Service
works with local leaders to build partnerships
and engage their communities in outdoor
recreation and natural resource conservation
projects."IJ This program provides technical
assistance including design and planning,
fundraising, implementation and other support.
•	The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest
Service offers a cost-share grant program,
through the National Urban and Community
Forestry Advisory Council, aimed toward
program development that addresses strategies
in their Ten Year Action Plan. The Greening
Iwilei and Kapalama projects and others could
qualify for this grant through the priority strategy
to "build human health through urban and
community forestry."
11.	For more information, see https://toolkit.climate.gov/
regions/hawai%E2%80%98i-and-pacific-islands.
12.	Transportation for America. Creative Placemaking,
Cultural Corridor Consortium, http://t4america.org/creative-
placemaking-grants/. Accessed October 2, 2017.
13. National Park Service. Rivers, Trails, and Conservation
Assistance Program, https://www.nps.gov/orgs/rtca/index.htm.
Accessed October 2, 2017.
Next Steps and Funding | 39
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
State Sources
•	The Hawaii Community Foundation has offered
funding to support projects meeting Hawaii's
Freshwater Initiative goals.
•	A Water Security Advisory Group was formed in
2017 to provide matching funds up to $100,00014
for water projects that met one or more of
Hawaii's Freshwater Initiative goals (conservation,
reuse, and recharge).
•	The Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation
offers grants for projects that are focused on
the environment, health and human services,
education, and arts.
•	The Hawaii Medical Service Association offers
grants for projects that focus on healthy lifestyles
and disease prevention including physical activity
and projects that promote improvement of
general social welfare, community programs
for healthy communities, and community
development. These three initiatives can be
related to the Greening Iwilei and Kapalama goals
including green infrastructure, complete streets,
and bicycle and pedestrian access and safety.
•	Through the Safe Routes to School program, the
city's Safe Routes to School Special Fund can
provide funding for programs that encourage K
through 8 students to walk and bicycle to school,
and provide a safe commute that is focused on
children's health, public safety, traffic congestion,
and the environment.
14. Commission on Water Resource Management,
Department of Land and Natural Resources. Water Security
Grant Program. October20l7, https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2017/I0/CWI 8-Water-Security-Grant-Rpt-
FYI7.pdf. Accessed November 24, 2017.
40 | Next Steps and Funding
Community and Other Sources
•	Smart Trees Pacific (Friends of Hawaii's
Urban Forest), supported by The Arbor Day
Foundation, is a non-profit urban forestry
organization in Hawaii. They raise awareness and
offer support for Hawaii's tropical urban trees,
providing education, resources, information, and
expertise regarding urban forestry and urban
stormwater forestry including rain gardens.
Additionally, they offer a Citizen Forester
Program which trains, educates, and certifies
interested community members to help urban
trees.
•	The Trust for Public Lands "collaborates with
communities to plan, design, and build parks,
playgrounds, gardens, and trails".1-1 Residents and
stakeholders may be able to obtain assistance to
design and construct needed parks, playgrounds,
gardens, and trails as identified in the design
options or in other areas of the neighborhood
and city.
15. The Trust for Public Lands. Create, https://www.tpl.org/
how-we-work/create#sm.0007l5acvl 82heu8zagldsydri68d.
Accessed November 24, 2017.
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama

Appendix
Final Report
Appendix \ 41
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Case Study 1: Living Alleys: Market Octavia Toolkit
The city of San Francisco has initiated the Market
Octavia Living Alleys Program1(5 to redesign
underutilized alleys and streets as public spaces. The
program developed the Living Alleys.' Market Octavia
Toolkit (Toolkit)17 to provide designers and residents
with guidance, inspiration, and a range of design
tools to create and implement alleys with multiple
benefits.
The Toolkit presents four goals of living alleys, being:
•	Green - incorporates landscaping and plants
•	Shared - balances the mix of pedestrians,
cyclists, and vehicles, and prioritizes non-
vehicular travel
•	Vibrant - supports a range of development and
activities by residents, the neighborhood, and
businesses
•	Clean and safe - is maintained, and fosters a
sense of safety
Design tools include furnishings, lighting, landscaping,
pavements, pedestrian-oriented street design (such
as chicanes, mid-block crossings, and sidewalk
extensions), and active uses and street frontages
and how each tool can be used in a project.
Funding for these projects-often comes from
sponsorship and donation opportunities from new
development impact fees, community businesses
and institutions, grants, private funding, community
fundraising; and partnerships with private
developers. The Toolkit includes a community
organizer checklist with a loose timetable for all
aspects of project phasing, including starting the
process, design, permitting, construction, and
programming use of the space. It also provides
guidance on research, case studies, general cost
estimation, funding, and partnership strategies.
I &, San Francises) Planning, San Francisco Public Works, San Francistea Municipal Transportatiori Agency, Mafket Ottavia Living
Alleys Program, http://sf-plarining.org/market-octavia-living-alleys-program. Accessed May 2:5, 2D 18,
17, Sari Fraricisfefi; Planning; Sari Fraricisc® Public Works, San Francisco Municipal Transportatiori Agency, Living Alleys Market
OctaviaToolkit, http://www.sf-planning.org/ftp/files/plans-and-programs/in-your-neighborhood/market octavia living alley/
Market-Octavia-Living-Alleys-Toolkit FINAL-WEB.pdf. Accessed May 2§, 2018.
Figure 36. Street trees, stormwater planters, a
narrowed and raised drive aisle, and seating areas calm
traffic and create a shared place for people to walk,
shop, sit, and socialize.
Figure 35. Food establishments are supported by
adjacent seating and greenery which create comfortable
and relaxing places to linger.
42 | Appendix
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Urban environments are often difficult places
for trees to grow due to compacted soils; a
lack of nutrients in the soil and the presence
of contaminants; a high percentage of pervious
surfaces; competing root space constraints with
utilities, foundations, etc.; and other factors.
Techniques such as the use of modular suspended
pavement cells can provide benefit to tree health,
enable green stormwater infrastructure, and allow
for expanded pedestrian areas.
Modular suspended pavement cells can be surfaced
with parking lanes, vehicle and loading areas,
sidewalks, and bike facilities to expand usable space.
This is especially helpful in constrained rights of way
with competing uses such as vehicular circulation,
seating, parking, and so forth.
Modular suspended pavement cells can also, collect
and treat stormwater. Plants and soils within the
cells can filter debris, sediments, and contaminants.
Depending upon the native soil and groundwater
elevation conditions, stormwater may infiltrate into
the native soil and groundwater under the cells,
or be directed to subdrains and connect to the
municipal stormwater pipe system. Either approach
decreases the amount of stormwater runoff from
impervious areas, and can provide stormwater
storage capacity. Modular suspended pavement cells
can also lessen localized flooding by providing soil
volume and area to capture and retain or redirect
stormwater runoff. Permeable paving can also be
placed over modular suspended pavement cells to
provide an area for other uses while still achieving
tree health and stormwater management benefits.
Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Case Study 2: Modular Suspended Pavement Cells
In addition, the use of modular suspended pavement
cells benefits trees by providing a greater volume of
uncompacted soil, which supports tree root growth
and long-term health of street trees. Healthy,
mature trees do more to reduce heat island effects,
improve air quality, and provide habitat and shade.
Figure 37. Burbank Water and Power in Burbank, CA.
modular suspended pavement cells below the sidewalk.
Image source: DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, LLC
Figure 38. Winslow Way in Bainbridge Island, WA.
Image source: DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, LLC
Figure 39. Amazon Headquarters in Seattle, WA.
Modular suspended pavement cells placed under a
raised cycle track, linking the street tree wells with
adjacent planted bulbouts. Image source: DeepRoot
Green Infrastructure, LLC
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Greening America's Communities
Honolulu, HI
Case Study 3: Ecoblocks
An Ecoblock, also called Ecodistrict, can consist of a single building, block, neighborhood, or district that incorporates decentralized water and energy infrastructure
and other sustainable building and site development strategies. When planning for an Ecoblock project in urban areas, the intent is usually "to recover some of
the ecosystem functions that have been lost to conventional infrastructure, such as water management that uses underground pipes to transport nutrients and
water out of the system and flush them downstream in concentrated flows." 18 Other goals of Ecoblocks are to reduce dependency on centralized infrastructure
and diversify energy and water supplies, which serves to build community resiliency, and to reduce the development's and utilities' carbon and water footprints by
maximizing the capture and use of onsite energy and water resources to meet certain building energy and water demands. This often also includes incorporating
green infrastructure that can serve multiple functions (such as landscaped areas, habitat restoration, food or fiber systems, or parks whiie also functioning as onsite
stormwater management).
This case study provides three examples of Ecoblocks, each at different scales:
Emory University Water Hub19
Atlanta, Georgia (neighborhoodscale)
Building facts:
•	631 acres (neighborhood scale) with more than
70 buildings
Green building features:
•	Stormwater capture and use (saves 800,000
gallons per year of potable water).
•	Greywater reuse (saves 750,000 gallons per
year of potable water).
•	400,000 gallons per day of wastewater
"scalping" from main trunk line. Treatment
includes moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) and
constructed wetland technologies. Recycled
water is used for cooling, toilet flushing, and
steam plant (146,000,000 gallons per year of
potable water savings).
Figure 40. Onsite wastewater treatment at Emory
University is coined the "WaterHub." It encompasses
constructed wetland technologies to treat wastewater
while also serving as an educational resource. Once
treated, reclaimed water is reused as process make-up
at three centra! chiller plants and the campus steam
plant, for irrigation of campus landscaping, and for toilet
flushing at select dormitories. Image source: Biohabitats,
Inc.
Figure 41. The WaterHub greenhouse on Emory's
campus that houses the constructed wetlands
for onsite wastewater treatment. Image source:
Biohabitats, Inc.
II. tesDistricts, Living Infrastructure Guide, https://ecodistricts.org/wp-content/uploads/20l 3/05/Living-1nfrastructure-Guide.pdf.
Accessed August 16, 2017,
19, Emory University. Healthy Emory Healthy Planet the WaterHub at Emory University Moving from Feasibility to Project
Executioni https://smartandsustainable.umd.edu/sites/smartandsustainable.umd.edu/files/the waterhub.pdf. Accessed on August
16,2017:
44 | Appendix
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Greening Iwilei and Kapalama
Final Report
Hassalo on 8th20
Portland, Oregon (block development)
Building type: Mixed commercial and residential
(50,000 square feet commercial, 657
residences)
Green building features:
•	Green roof (eco-roof garden).
•	Onsite wastewater treatment (45,000 gaiions
per day). Water is reused for flushing toilets,
irrigation for the block's landscape, and cooling
tower makeup water.
•	60,000-gallon cistern collects rainwater.
Collected stormwater is used for the block's
water feature.
Figure 42. Hassalo on 8th has an onsite wastewater
treatment system coined "NORM" (Natural Organic
Recycling Machine). The components include both
trickling filters (red towers) and constructed wetland
technologies to meet water quality suitable for reuse as
irrigation, toilets, and makeup water for cooling. Image
source: Biohabitats, Inc.
Figure 43. Water features are fed by water harvested
from a green roof and provide a complementary and
aesthetically pleasing background of wetland plants and
cascading water in the midst of the urban development.
Image source: Biohabitats, Inc.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Building (SFPUC)21
San Francisco, California (single building)
Building type: I 3-story Class A office building (900
employees)
Green building features:
Energy: consumes 32% less than similarly sized
building
•	Hybrid solar and wind turbine, interior
daylighting, raised flooring system
Water: consumes 60% less water than similarly
sized building
•	Onsite wastewater treatment system, using
a constructed wetlands technology treats
100% of the total wastewater produced by
the building (about 5,000 gallons per day) and
reuses it for the building's toilets and urinals.
•	25,000-gallon cistern for rainwater harvesting
provides water for site irrigation.
Figure 44. The constructed wetland technology is
coined "The Living Machine." The wetlands are in raised
planters located between the sidewalk and building.
Image source: Biohabitats, Inc.
20,	Hassalo on 8th. Portland s Newest Neighborhood, an Bes-Cqmmunity, Bringing Us Together http://hassalooneighth.com.
Accessed .On August 16, 2017.
21.	San Francisco Water Power Sewer, Sgrvites of the: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Our Headquarters', ht.tp://www,
sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=583. Accessed August 16,2GI7.
Appendix | 45
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dflk	United States
Environmental Protectio
Agency
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