Project Statement

Five goby species endemic to Hawaii are under threat due to the loss of their ridge-to-harbor migratory routes. Urban expansion has disrupted these pathways through water diversion, port construction, and land hardening—worsening goby habitat conditions and contributing to stormwater flooding, creating shared ecological challenges. This project seeks to integrate nature and urban systems through low-intervention strategies by reconstructing Hawaii’s traditional Ahupua'a system. Through the design and transformation of estuary, urban, and farmland zones, goby habitat connectivity will be restored to help mitigate stormwater issues and promote harmony between people and nature.

Project Narrative

Project Background

Hawaii is home to five unique goby species, including Sicyopterus stimpson, which is listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN, and Lentipes concolor, which is listed as Class I Endangered. These gobies are at risk of habitat degradation and loss of their “ridge-to-harbor” migratory pathways due to disruptions in surface water connectivity. Urban expansion, including water abstraction, diversion, port construction, and land hardening, has blocked their migratory routes. Channelization has further impeded gobies from foraging, avoiding predators, and swimming upstream, resulting in loss of mountaintop niches. At the same time, Hawaii faces a chronic risk of flooding, which is exacerbated by poor drainage during extreme weather events. The Manoa-Palolo Watershed urgently needs effective design solutions to restore goby migration and manage stormwater to promote coexistence between residents and gobies.

Problem and Strategies:

Estuary Region

Problem: Tourism development on Waikiki Beach has led to shoreline hardening, removing goby breeding and survival habitats.

Strategy: Create ecological floating islands to support the growth and migration of gobies. The design restores wetland areas within the Ahupua’a River system and transforms them into suitable habitats, while providing recreational spaces for visitors and residents to promote interaction between people, nature, and gobies.

Urban Areas

Problem 1: Urbanization has led to the disappearance of river channels, obstructed migration routes, and poor drainage in residential areas prone to flooding.

Strategy: Design grass ditches along green spaces to create "gas stations" for goby migration. Install drainage ditches, sinks, and filtration devices to collect rainwater, reshape migration routes, and reduce waterlogging in residential areas.

Problem 2: River channelization hinders goby migration and worsens drainage conditions.

Strategy: Use idle green spaces along the river to widen the river channel and create a shallow water ecosystem. Connect new green spaces to the river to control water flow, reshape drainage systems, reduce flood damage, and restore migration routes.

Cropland Area

Problem: Farmland that was once part of the goby migration path has disappeared, affecting agricultural income.

Strategy: Use the traditional ahupua’a agricultural system to replenish river water, build ahupua’a fish ponds based on the fish-taro symbiotic relationship, and plant cash crops such as sugarcane, bananas, and taro to increase income and restore the migration path.

Mountaintop

With the restoration of the Hawaiian goby migration path, the biodiversity of the mountaintop has been significantly enhanced, and the restoration of its habitat aims to ultimately form a thriving and interconnected ecosystem that benefits wildlife and the surrounding environment. Project Vision.

Vision

Our goal is to rebuild the ahupua’a system as a cohesive framework. Through design strategies, the connectivity of goby habitat is restored, while solving stormwater issues, promoting the development of a traditional agricultural economy, and promoting a natural symbiotic relationship between residents and Hawaiian gobies.