HCPO
Early Bird Registration Open Now
Mark your calendars for this year’s Hawai‘i Congress of Planning Officials (HCPO) Conference, Resilient by Design: Planning for Hawai‘i’s Tomorrow, on August 27-29, 2025 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort! Early Bird Registration is open now until June 30th.
You can subscribe to our HCPO mailing list to stay updated with all news on the conference.
Training, Breakout Sessions, and More!
During this year’s conference, you can expect sessions curated by OPSD that are intended to 1) share information that provokes critical thinking, 2) nurture ideas, strategies, and collaborations that strengthen our communities, infrastructure, and natural resources amid evolving challenges, and 3) offer skill building opportunities to brush up or add to your planner toolkit. Session topics will include:
-
🌧️ How climate adaptation pathways and other tools might be used to deal with climate-related land use threats and challenges
-
🏠 A deep(er) drive into Hawai’i’s housing market including trends across the state, challenges that remain, and bright spots for the future
-
🚃 Designing to increase access to our transportation network for all
-
📍 Skill building for professional practice, including Esri’s ArcGIS Urban and StoryMaps training, as well as a facilitation refresher
-
…and more!
Mobile Workshops
Get out of the conference room and into the action! Our mobile tours on August 27th, are your chance to explore real projects happening across the state—see planning in motion, ask questions on-site, and get inspired by what’s taking shape in our communities.
- 🚲 Pedal through Downtown Honolulu and explore new bike lanes and Complete Streets projects.
- 🌊 Walk on Waikīkī’s engineered shoreline and learn how we’re adapting to sea level rise.
- 🚜 Visit Punalu‘u and see how stream restoration is helping flood mitigation and farming.
- ♻️ Tour Re-use Hawai‘i’s facility and see how deconstruction supports island resilience.
- 🌱 Discover Central O‘ahu’s agribusiness innovation and Hawai‘i’s future food system.
- 🥥 Explore the He’eia NERR, sail to Moku o Lo’e (Coconut Island), and learn how an island is planning for 6 feet of sea level rise.
Keynote Featuring APA President Sue Schwartz
Sue Schwartz, FAICP, currently serves as APA President and is Planning Director for the City of Greensboro, North Carolina. Her 40+ years in the planning profession includes a focus on neighborhood revitalization and corridor reinvestment. Several of her projects have earned state and national awards. Since 2006, she has been a faculty/consultant for NeighborWorks America and is an adjunct faculty in the Public Administration Program at UNC Greensboro. She is also an accomplished TED Talk speaker, including her November 2022 talk, “What if… we had enough places to call home?”. When not working on planning initiatives, Schwartz enjoys her passion for baseball, particularly rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies, and serves on her local youth baseball league board of directors.
Student Exclusive: Save on Registration!
Currently enrolled in school? You’re eligible for a special discounted rate to attend the conference! Email us at [email protected] to receive your student discount code.
Help Launch a Future Planner’s Journey!
Support the next generation of planners by contributing to the HCPO scholarship fund. By subsidizing their cost to attend, you’ll open the door to hands-on learning, professional networking, and real-world insights. It’s a meaningful way to invest in Hawai‘i’s future planning professionals. Opt in by adding your contribution on the Registration check-out page, or by contacting Lee-Ann Choy at [email protected].
Sponsorship Opportunities
Please contact Lee-Ann Choy at [email protected] if you’re interested in sponsorship opportunities.
The symbol for the 2025 HCPO conference is inspired by the native Hawaiian nanea flower. Known for enriching soil with nitrogen, the nanea naturally fertilizes surrounding plants while providing resilient groundcover.
Much like the nanea’s role in Hawai‘i’s ecosystem, this year’s conference seeks to nurture ideas, strategies, and collaborations that strengthen our communities, infrastructure, and natural resources amid evolving challenges.
Rendered in a doodle style, the illustration reflects the creative and dynamic spirit of planning thoughtful, place-based solutions for Hawai‘i’s tomorrow.