"There's no way to stop growth. If you artificially restrict growth, the costs of homes are going to skyrocket even more than they have, and that creates a whole new set of problems," said City Councilman Gary Okino.

"Instead, we have to start thinking about doing things different. Can we start thinking about changing the regulations to allow smart growth? Can we get developers to think differently? Can we plan well enough to get schools built as the towns start to develop?"

Smart growth is basically a set of policies that encourages environmentally sensitive land development that aims to minimize dependence on driving and develop more cost-effective infrastructure.

Government and private officials note some change already in the way planners and developers consider and finance new projects:

• Earlier this year, the city sponsored a series of forums on smart growth that brought in national experts to share ideas with local builders and officials.

"I think we really caught their attention, and we'll see some things changing very quickly," said Eric Crispin, Honolulu's director of planning and permitting.

• In 2002, developers signed an agreement with the city to pay $38 million for roadway improvements in Leeward O'ahu, charging an impact fee on each new housing unit and commercial and hotel projects. That will cover about 20 percent of the $194 million price tag, with the federal government paying the rest.

• Maui County Councilwoman Jo Anne Johnson is pushing for a similar system to collect traffic-impact fees on new development.

• The state Land Use Commission mandated that Koa Ridge developer Castle & Cooke contribute to the financing or construction of new public school facilities in Mililani as part of its approval to proceed with the project.

"We're looking seriously about how we can help finance the infrastructure needs, but that can be a double-edged sword," said Dean Uchida, head of the privately supported Land Use Research Foundation in Hawai'i.

"The developers are going to have to pass those fees on to new home buyers, but it's not fair, because all the costs will be borne by new families moving in, not those who are already there," he said.

Ultimately, the solution will have to be a far more dramatic change in the way politicians and planners think about building new communities, said Gordon Grau, director of the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College and a driving force behind the university's new Center for Smart Building and Community Design.

"We need growth that doesn't expand the perimeter any further," Grau said. "We've got to change the patterns of growth."

That might mean higher densities in many areas; finding ways to build more homes in developed areas, including urban Honolulu; integrating housing and employment opportunities; and developing a new mass transit system.

The city is preparing to introduce new regulations and laws that would accommodate many such developments, Crispin said.