Lessons Learned in Preserving the Sense of Place

摘要

While it may not initially seem that Honolulu and Shanghai have much in common, Honolulu has experienced many of the same challenges with regard to development pressure and the preservation of historic buildings that are on the immediate horizon for Shanghai. Honolulu has made some mistakes with regard to historic preservation, and hopefully our lessons can help the future of Shanghai. Each city has a unique quality of life and sense of place that must be maintained. For Hawaii our sense of place is defined by both our spectacular natural landscape that varies significantly from island to island, and by the buildings that are also influenced by the multi-ethnic nature of the people who have inhabited our islands. It is acknowledging and celebrating this variety that is important. Hawaii stands out somewhat uniquely from the rest of the United States. We are the only island state and have had since World War II, a rate of population growth exponentially more than more any other state. The city of Honolulu is confined between the mountains and the sea in a narrow strip of land less than a few miles wide. These factors have created a dramatic demand for development. Hawaii was one of the first states to develop both a statewide General Plan and a comprehensive Development Plan for each island wide county.