Among the elements of the debate are open space, controlled density, and the elusive "Hawaiian sense of place."

An excellent book entitled "The View from Diamond Head: Royal Residence to Urban Resort" by Don Hibbard and David Franzen provides a glimpse to Waikiki's history and past visions about its future.

Long before the reign of Kakuhihewa during the 1500s, Waikiki was the seat of power for Oahu. It remained so until 1809 when Kamehameha I moved his court to Honolulu. Waikiki (meaning "spouting waters") got its name from springs that fed taro lands.

Before the Ala Wai canal drained the area in the late 1930s and spurred subdivision, Waikiki was the site of royal residences and palatial houses of foreign families who, after the 1848 Great Mahele, were permitted to own land.

The visitor industry started in 1881 with a bathhouse, the Long Branch, and the first hotel, the Waikiki Inn, in 1899.

Four years later, the Honolulu Rapid Transit Co. opened the area to Honolulu residents with a line from downtown and the Waikiki Aquarium as an end-of-the-line attraction. Zoning ordinances in 1927 concentrated commercial activity on Kalakaua Avenue.

Among the events that generated visceral debate as to what constitutes appropriate development in Waikiki were the aquisition of the Kalia area (Fort DeRussy) by the U.S War Department between 1904 and 1910 and the opening of the Aloha Amusement Park nearby in 1922. Opposing the latter, the Outdoor Circle and most residents called it an "atrocious ballyhoo bazaar" in contrast to the Advertiser's description as "another laurel to the wreath of Honolulu's progressiveness."

More than a dozen plans for the area have been issued since 1906.

They include a 1938 study by the notable city planner Lewis Mumford

A 1954 traffic study by the County Planning Commission

A 1964 report by the Planning Department The more recent "Waikiki 2000" and other master plans.

Aloha Park was adjacent to Fort DeRussy, an American army base and was opened by the Aloha Amusement Company, a group of local investors. They invested $250,000 to build and equip the park with modern rides. They hired Los Angeles resident Cory to manage the park and gave him a stake in the new company. While Honolulu only had a permanent population of 90,000, it also had a transient population of 30,000 soldiers, sailors and tourists. And its mild climate was perfect for year around operation. Although its proximity to the army base was helpful, the five-acre site required extensive filling and dredging to make it into an amusement resort. Two acres were set aside as sunken gardens and grass lawns. Technical director Mark Hanna was in charge of the park’s construction. The park’s entrance was designed after the Palace of Fine Arts arcade at the 1915 San Francisco Exposition. The park's rides included the Big Dipper roller coaster designed by Prior and Church of Venice, California, a Noah’s Ark fun house, a 70 foot high Traver Seaplane, a ten-car Dodgem, a carousel built by Arthur Looff, and a miniature railroad. The dance hall had a floor 120 x 150 feet, with a 20 foot lanai, where refreshments were served, and contained boxes for private parties. Music was provided by the Hawaiian brass band, that played at the band pavilion where a big musical revue was staged nightly. Electric lights at light brightly lit up the grounds and rides. Free daily entertainment was provided. Oscar V. Babcock performed his thrilling bicycle loop-the-loop during the park’s opening weeks.