By designating the Ewa plain as the Secondary Urban Center, the state of Hawaii established the Kapolei Town Center master plan as the largest and most significant planning project since Hawaii statehood. This public/private partnership (P3) involved the Campbell Estate and an extensive interface with the City, County and State agencies. The design team’s task was to create a physical development plan which could be implemented over many years. The concept is that of a true, satellite city, self-sufficient but not self-contained, as a complement to The First Urban Center, Honolulu. Its boundaries are formed by surrounding projects and existing developments. It is scaled for the pedestrian, oriented to views of the ocean (makai) and the inland mountains (mauka). Design was preceded by substantial research into the mythological, archaeological, and historical context of the region. Significant locations are made key public places in the master plan.

The Town Center provides public facilities, major roads and land uses not currently provided or anticipated in the surrounding area. The Town Center is also planned to accommodate a future transit link to Honolulu. Organized with a city grid, the Town Center plan introduces urban design guidelines that encourage elements of traditional Hawaiian culture such as garden setting, use of indigenous lava, coral and bluestone building materials, and provision of traditional building elements such as atria, roofed balconies, arcades and courtyards. Based on historical research, the open space system reestablishes the Hawaiian loku, small parks designed for casual recreation and informal gatherings like in early Honolulu.