Coastal
Lahaina’s coastline faces accelerating change. At 3.2 feet of sea level rise, approximately 3,130 acres of West Maui coastal land face chronic flooding, with 780 structures and an estimated 1,600 residents at risk of displacement independent of fire damage. The thesis proposes a coastal buffer based on partial retreat — new permanent residential construction is prohibited within the SLR-XA exposure area, and the zone transitions to heritage preservation, recreation, and ecological accommodation. Front Street transforms from a vehicle-dominated commercial corridor into a continuous pedestrian promenade connecting heritage sites including the Banyan Tree, Moku’ula, and the harbor.
Sections
The Four-Buffer Framework
Coastal, riparian, peri-urban, and water collection zones forming the backbone of the recovery plan.
Design Interventions
Key sites including the elementary school, Banyan Tree civic space, and coastal promenade.
Environmental Analysis
Water systems, rainfall patterns, streams, and sea level rise projections for West Maui.
Drawings
Coastal Buffer Map
Plan showing the coastal buffer zone defined by sea level rise projections and the inland retreat boundary
Buffer Framework Base Plan
Base plan showing the coastal, riparian, and peri-urban buffer extents with the primary circulation framework
Buffer Framework - Mauka to Makai
Conceptual section showing four buffer zones from hinterland to nearshore: coastal, peri-urban, riparian, and hinterland catchment
Complete Buffer System
All four buffer zones overlaid — coastal, riparian, peri-urban, and water collection — in one comprehensive plan
Coast to Peri-Urban Plan
Full transect plan showing the relationship between coastal buffer, urban core, and peri-urban edge
Sections - Proposed Recovery
Cross-sections showing the proposed recovery transect from the coastal promenade to the peri-urban edge
Coastal Buffer - 3D View
Axonometric rendering of the coastal buffer zone showing integrated landscape design with green infrastructure and park areas
Coastal Promenade Rendering
Perspective rendering of the proposed Front Street pedestrian promenade with coastal landscaping
Coastal Buffer Section
Sectional strategy drawing showing retreat, public access, dunes, and coastal park interventions along the shoreline
Composite Regional Analysis
Combined systems map identifying developable edges and constraint zones across West Maui
Integrated Framework Plan
Integrated plan linking buffers, circulation, the school, redensification, and the peri-urban park in one framework
Proposed Recovery Framework
Hypothesis diagram showing four-buffer framework with coastal, peri-urban, riparian, and hinterland zones surrounding a protected urban core
Sea Level Rise Projections
Projected coastal encroachment scenarios from 2040 to 2300 along Lahaina's coastline
Sources
Buffer Zone Principles
Singh, Akhil — Comprehensive framework for coastal, riparian, agricultural, water retention, and residential buffer zones
Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report
Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission — Official sea level rise projections used for the coastal buffer strategy; provides the 3.5-foot and 6-foot planning thresholds