It's time for innovative thinking about this underutilized resource.

Next time you fly over, or see, an aerial photo of our Honolulu, you will be looking at what is perhaps the greatest waste of space in Hawai'i nei.

We live in an island community where there is a finite amount of usable space, and we need to use it properly. We cannot afford to waste space — but we do.

The biggest waste of space in Honolulu is up on the rooftops.

There are acres and acres of available space where the warm sun shines, the cool breezes blow and where, in many cases, the view is terrific.

While I am not writing this to affix blame for wasting this great space, I do hope that architects who design our buildings, contractors who build them, institutions and others who finance them, owners, and, yes, even government officials who approve the building requests in both the private and public sectors will all take heed.

And it need not wait until an old building is being demolished, to be replaced by a new structure. Many, if not most, structurally sound existing buildings can be modified to get better use of existing rooftop space. For many, space is money. And when they realize that, business leaders will find ways to better utilize our limited amount of space.

Granted, there are old buildings with rooftops that cannot safely support anything. And there are a few buildings that are peaked, gabled or with ornate tops that allow no use of rooftop space, but not many. Some of those roofs could at least accommodate solar panels, an old, but still very good idea.

There is room on our rooftops for parks, playgrounds, care and exercise facilities, and some limited sports activities, such as jogging tracks, tennis courts, "bark parks," putting greens and golf driving ranges. And those are but a few ideas. Architects, engineers and designers will think of hundreds of uses for this space, I'm sure.

Architectural and landscape engineers can put their heads together and figure out how and where we can safely "green" the tops of buildings to keep them cooler, while providing shade to those who need a cool spot for lunch. I can visualize eateries — from small snack stands to full-blown fine dining restaurants — on some roofs, complete with potted trees and flowering plants, umbrellas, tents or awnings shielded from the wind by glass or transparent plastic walls and windbreaks.

They would be far from busy, noisy streets, crowded sidewalks and the ever-present fumes from heavy vehicular traffic. Many would offer a great view of our city, the ocean, the mountains.

This could include condominium and apartment buildings, business buildings, government buildings, even private single-family homes. Families with small yard space can often double the usable space by developing the flat rooftop of a house, or a garage or carport.

Given the limited amount of space we have on this island, it's time for some innovative thinking. Let's take advantage of our year-round nice weather. Don't live or work near a park? Need a cool place to relax after a hard day of work? These spaces are all right there, if we see the potential and build them.

Keith Haugen is an entertainer and teacher at Star of the Sea Schools in Wai'alae. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.