Infrastructure
The 2023 wildfire was not just a fire — it was an infrastructure failure. Water systems couldn’t deliver enough pressure to fight the flames. The historic plantation ditch network, built for sugarcane and never repurposed for municipal use, sat idle while the town burned. This topic covers the existing infrastructure, points of failure, and proposed systems for water capture, distribution, and emergency response.
Sections
Abstract
Thesis scope, methods, and broader implications for disaster-resilient urbanism.
Community Anchors - Node-Based Urbanism
How distributing essential functions across multiple nodes prevents simultaneous loss and serves both daily life and crisis response.
The 2023 Wildfire - Cause, Spread, and Damage
How the August 2023 wildfire ignited, spread through Lahaina, and exposed systemic infrastructure failures.
Community Hub Operations
How the three community hubs function daily and convert to emergency facilities, program details, accessibility, and dual-use design.
Street-by-Street Mobility Design
Detailed design for each corridor: the New Boulevard, Coastal Promenade, Lahaina Luna Avenue, Kahoma Boulevard, and Wainee Street.
Pioneer Mill Water Infrastructure
Historic ditch systems, aquifer designation, and the water crisis blocking Lahaina's recovery.
Multi-Scalar Diagnostic
A framework analyzing Lahaina from regional to neighborhood scale to identify intervention points.
Redensification & Community Hubs
A plan for 2,200 new housing units within a walkable core, anchored by three community hubs.
Research Questions & Hypotheses
Five primary questions framing the investigation into Lahaina's recovery.
The Water Crisis
Stage 2 water shortage, aquifer designation, and the infrastructure blocking Lahaina's recovery.
Proposed Systems - Water, Green Infrastructure, and Mobility
Integrated urban systems connecting water capture, green corridors, and a new mobility network.
Water System - Zone by Zone
The five water capture and distribution zones from mountain hinterland to coast, with specific strategies for each.
Drawings
Water Collection Hinterland
Map showing water capture zones above the highway reinforcing the historic ditch system
Diagnostic Overlay — Systemic Vulnerabilities
Composite analysis showing overlapping infrastructure, water, and fire vulnerabilities across Lahaina
Existing Water Systems
Map of streams, ditches, collection pools, retention areas, and water infrastructure across Lahaina
Existing Mobility Network
Pre-fire street network showing single-spine road system and evacuation bottlenecks
Community Hub Network
Three community hub locations positioned within walkable distance of all residential areas
Community Hub Typology Matrix
Matrix comparing the three community hub types, their daily uses, emergency roles, and spatial distribution
Lahaina Base Map
Base map of Lahaina showing topography, road network, runoff, and building footprints before analytical overlays
Five Key Problems
Diagram identifying five systemic problems: urban risk, weak coastal protection, displacement, lack of structure, and disconnected recovery
Module - Baseline Section
Baseline section through three connected modules showing the core spatial profile before performance overlays
Design Principles - Overall & Urban
Diagram showing overall recovery principles and their spatial translation into Lahaina's urban section
Proposed Mobility Network
Redesigned street hierarchy with new boulevard, pedestrian promenade, and multiple evacuation routes
Streams & Ditch Systems
Map of natural stream network overlaid with historic plantation ditch infrastructure
Elementary School Floor Plan
Ground floor plan of the proposed elementary school showing modular classroom arrangement and community facilities
School - Program Details
Detailed zoom views of school functional areas: health offices, cafeteria, classrooms, and gymnasium
School Sections
Two cross-sections through the elementary school showing modular roof forms and spatial organization
Water Capture Network
Proposed water capture network showing collection zones, channels, and directional flow from the hinterland toward town
Water Capture Ponds
Axonometric rendering of terraced water capture ponds and retention basins integrated with the upland landscape
Water Collection Strategy
Diagram showing water collection pond system and distribution from mountain hinterland to town
Water Collection Infrastructure
Perspective section of elevated agricultural terraces with water capture ponds and retention basins
Water Zones — Mauka to Makai
Diagram showing water capture and distribution zones from mountain to coast
Sources
El Parque del Agua / The Water Park
Alday, Iñaki, Margarita Jover, and Christine Dalnoky — Water infrastructure as public space; direct precedent for integrating water systems into community design
Lahaina Recovery Status Reports
FEMA / EPA — Approximately $3 billion in federal aid; 1,500+ sites cleared; wastewater infrastructure rebuild progress
Transportation and Circulation Records, Lahaina District
County of Maui Department of Public Works — Pre-fire road network data including traffic volumes, street classifications, and circulation patterns
Recovery Status Reports, 2024-2025
Maui County Office of Recovery — Official tracking of recovery progress including site clearance, permitting, and infrastructure rebuilding
Preliminary Post-Fire Transportation Assessment, West Maui
Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation — Assessment of transportation damage and temporary solutions after the wildfire; identifies critical infrastructure gaps
Restoring Streams in Cities: A Guide for Planners, Policymakers, and Citizens
Riley, Ann L. — Practical methodology for urban stream restoration; directly applicable to Lahaina's riparian buffer strategy
Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India
Livingston, Morna — Vernacular water infrastructure as architecture; precedent for integrating water systems into public space
Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan
Waggonner & Ball Architects — Comprehensive urban water management precedent; demonstrates how water infrastructure can become public amenity and resilience strategy
Reconnaissance Level Architectural Historic Resource Survey, Honoapi'ilani Highway
WSP USA Inc. — 40 architectural resources; 11 water structures; Olowalu Sugar Plantation Historic District
Terms
Permeable Frameworks
Urban systems managing water through distributed infiltration, retention, and conveyance rather than centralized pipe-and-pump infrastructure.
Vulnerability Cycles
Recurring patterns of risk and recovery failure caused by systemic weaknesses in infrastructure, planning, and governance. Breaking these cycles requires addressing root causes rather than treating each disaster as isolated.