The planning effort to determine what Hawai'i ought to be like a half-century from now, being led by the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Task Force, has scheduled a statewide series of community meetings to get the public's view of the future.

One of the key issues is just what people think sustainability is, said Patrick Williams of the Hawai'i Institute for Public Affairs.

"We're working on a draft definition of sustainability, and part of this process is going to the community and asking what you guys think sustainability is," he said.

A lot of folks hear the term sustainability and think about recycling and energy-efficient cars, but there is a great deal more to it, he said.

"We're looking at a triple bottom line: economy, environment and community," Williams said.

The state Legislature in 2005 created the task force, and charged it with, essentially, redeveloping a Hawai'i state plan and getting it done by December. The current state plan is three decades old.

The task force, headed by state Sen. Russell Kokubun, is to look at all parts of the community, and to develop directions for the economy, jobs, the natural environment, energy, transportation, land use, and how to keep the public involved in the process.

"The lack of affordable and adequate housing; steady deterioration of our public infrastructure — including roads, parks, schools, healthcare facilities and other buildings; traffic gridlock and congestion on most islands; and population growth increasing at a rapid rate, particularly on the Neighbor Islands — all raise questions about the long-term limits of growth on these islands and the need for all of us to begin planning and acting now to ensure a positive and sustainable future for the people of Hawai'i, especially our children, youth, and future generations," the task force Web site says.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.