Business Land Use In Hawaii
Back in the old days of Hawaii, the land was divided into wedge-shaped lands running from the mountain to the sea. Within the ahupua`a, the land was used to sustain life in Hawaii. Each ahupua`a contained fertile land used for farming crops like taro and sweet potato and to grow trees and plants like the koa tree. However all of that changed when the Great Mahele came around and changed how the land was divided and used.
In 1848, the Great Mahele divided the land into the Crown Land (owned by the king), Government Land, and the land owned by the chiefs and konohiki. With the Great Mahele came the Kuleana Act of 1850, which then allowed the maka`ainana (commoners) to own land. After that thousands of acres land went to foreigners. The land was often sold and leased to foreigners as a payment of debt or for goods and services. Already foreigners had most of the land and used it for many things like the sugar plantations and pineapple plantations. After the overthrow, the former Crown Lands went to the government.
Now days in Hawaii, the land is used much differently from the past. Businesses use the land for retail factories, which is stores and for office buildings. Industries use the land the land as well but it depends on the industry the business is apart of. Most industries use the land for factories to create goods. Hawaii land is used for agricultural purposes, which is apart of many industries like for growing crops (coffee beans, pineapples, and etc.) and producing food. For example, Ala Moana is a huge business in Hawaii and takes up a lot of land. The mall takes up has 2.1 million square feet of retail space and also the parking lot takes up a lot of land as well. Ala Moana holds about 230 businesses, which include stores and restaurant.
Lately in Hawaii there has been issues about the land use. For example, the former Crown Lands that were given to the government after the overthrow known as ceded lands have been debated about how to use the land. The state feels the right to sell or transfer the ceded lands since it was given to the government. On Maui and the Big Island, the state has transferred pieces of ceded land to private companies to be used for residential and housing. However the Office of Hawaiian Affairs took the state to court and won. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs wanted to protect the ceded land and feel it should be preserved for the Hawaiians and the culture.
The Great Mahele was made to modernize Hawaii, however it gave land to foreigners. The foreigners then changed the use of land from farming land to sustain life to making factories and stores to gain money.
