ABSTRACT
Most civilizations from the beginning of modern human history rose up along rivers and oceans. From the decline of the Sumerian culture in the Fertile Crescent to the worldwide sealing of thousands of square kilometers each year in the name of development, humans continue to overburden the watershed in a variety of ways. After first perishing from unsustainable slash-and-burn practices, Hawaiians figured out ways to construct their civilization within the flows of the watershed. They recognized connections between mountains and ocean, and carved out fish ponds and terraced gardens. They developed settlements, political structures, and cultural heritage sites based on their understanding of the watershed. After contact with European settlers and annexation to the United States, Hawaiians were forced to abandon these practices. In an age of climate change and rising sea levels, the question is, How can the lost technology of the watershed be restored and applied to contemporary urban planning strategies? I (Toland) interviewed Sean Connelly about the landscape and soils of Hawai'i, his practice as an architect and sculptor, and his visionary design manifesto, Hawai'i Futures. According to Connelly, indigenous Hawaiian concepts of design offer island cities in Hawai'i and elsewhere valuable lessons for the future. It is symbolic to end this section and this volume with Sean Connelly's vision of the city as complex soil system. Rethinking urbanism in terms of the watershed shifts the focus from buildings and streets to large-scale infrastructure, political organization, and indigenous knowledge. It is in this rethinking that the platform function of the soil becomes a key to protecting soil functionality as a whole.
