Charting the right course for the Kaka'ako mauka area is crucial — and the retooled plan will determine how successfully we navigate the need for density in our urban core, while preserving precious and fast-disappearing view planes along the Ala Moana corridor.

So far the signs are promising. A new environmental review, a core part of that plan, includes logical setback requirements, smaller footprints for buildings and scaling back building heights at some sections along Ala Moana. Maximum heights in that area would scale back to 200 feet, rather than the 400-foot limit.

There are significant changes ahead that will define the character, vision and feel of the 450-acre area — and public input is key.

"It will change the skyline, and people should understand what the impact would be. Development, density and height need to occur in our urban core, but we're looking to orient the buildings to maximize mauka-makai views," says Anthony Ching, executive director of the Hawai'i Community Development Authority, the quasi-state agency charged with overseeing development in Kaka'ako.

While city population projections for the area were downsized from 47,000 to 30,000 by 2030, traffic management is a huge concern for this already-congested area and its surrounding communities.

Rail transit, and smaller-scale traffic engineering solutions suggested in the plan make sense. But ensuring smart design is equally important. The right regulatory structure will encourage a walkable community, with wide pedestrian pathways, shuttles and incentives for leaving vehicles at home. Access to city buses and room for bicycles, scooters and more should be part of any plan from the get-go.

Preserving the character of surrounding neighborhoods, including the low-rise residential units in the Sheridan tract, will also be important. That's an important area where input from residents can make a difference, Ching says.

The plan, too, must continue to push for affordable and workforce housing in the area to be true to the goal of creating neighborhoods that work.

The HCDA will use the revamped plan to guide development in the area well into the future. Simply put, the agency's plan is to encourage a "vertical neighborhood" — where people live, work and play — complete with local grocery stores, markets, drug stores and more.

It's the perfect fit for our urban core. But whether that will come to fruition is, in part, up to the community. The environmental review should be finalized later this year; that will clear the way for the final updated plan in 2009.

So the clock is ticking. The deadline for comments is Aug. 22. So make your views known on this important piece of O'ahu's future.