Policy-Driven Urban Expansion and Land Use/Land Cover Change in Ewa, Honolulu (2002–2022): Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Analysis of Transit-Oriented Development Impacts

Padmendra Prasad Shrestha, Asheshwor Man Shrestha and Chang-Yu Hong ()
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Padmendra Prasad Shrestha: Department of Geography & Environmental Sustainability, The State University of New York at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820, USA
Asheshwor Man Shrestha: Global Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Kathmandu P.O. Box 86, Nepal
Chang-Yu Hong: Division of Global & Interdisciplinary Studies, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-33

Abstract: While prior studies on LULC change in the Ewa region of O’ahu Hawai’i have explored the policy implications and the rapid infrastructure changes on land use, very few studies have attempted to fully integrate both of these changes in a comprehensive, long-term study of island geographies. Most of the past work has focused on general trends or short-term fluctuations, without considering the play of nuanced interactions between urbanization policies, transit-oriented development, and constraints of Hawai’i’s finite land resources. To fill these gaps, this study examines LULC changes in Ewa, Honolulu between 2002 and 2022, which emphasizes the impacts of strategic urban policies and infrastructure development, such as the Honolulu Skyline Rail Transit System. Using Landsat 7 satellite imagery and random forest machine learning classifier, in Google Earth Engine, LULC is classified into urban, forest, vegetation, barren, and water with classification accuracy of over 85%. The results highlight trends of significant urban growth especially after 2010, and highlight key issues of tension between housing demands and environmental sustainability in O’ahu. This study highlights the potential of integrated remote sensing and policy analysis for informing sustainable development in land-constrained island settings, and advocates for planning frameworks that more effectively balance growth, ecosystem stewardship, and community welfare.

Keywords: land use and land cover (LULC); random forest classification; urbanization; transit-oriented development (TOD); Honolulu Skyline Rail Project; sustainable development in Hawai’i; renewable energy in O’ahu (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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