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circumstances. Cultural sites and centers are managed by Native 1~Iawaiians and preserved by laws and regulations of the State and the County. The people of Kauai appreciate the xnatay benefits the visitor industry brings to the island. 'They, in turn, give tl~e gift of aloha, encouraging guests to return. and to stay longer, Residents support the industry's role in strengtheygssag the economy, preserving the culture, and protecting the environment. In general, residents agree that a healthy, well-managed visitor industry is a major contributor to the quality of life on Kauai. ~ Rum! ~ 'I7te Island of Kauai is a rural place. "Rural" describes many aspect of Kauai that people value: green, open lands; raising crops for food; small communities where people know each other; the absence of city noise and lights; not feeling crowded. Kaua`i's rural character lies not just in those lands classified as "rural" or "agriculture". Rather, it lies jn how the whole island fife t®gehher ~ the relationship of urban settlements to open lands, how the built-up erases relate to the natural features of flee landscape, lsow pimple get ou€asl. Some important elements Qf Kaua`i's physical environment: ¦ Small towns sand communities that have a distinct character and are compact rather than spread out. ¦ VVidc expanses of open lands natural areas and lands in active cultivation pro~-idc separation bet~v~n the tovv°ns and cotrimunitaes. 'I`he rhythms of communities alternating with open lands is pleasing; and the sepamtis~n highlights the special identity of each community. ¦ Buildings are relatively small in scale and low in height, complementi~,g rather *l~n dorr~inating a Landscape. ¦ `I`he relatively small scale of Kauai roads, the presence of natural vegetation along the roads, and the absence of medial concrete barriers. Kauai is a place of great natural beauty and green open spaces, valued by residents and visitors alike. Rural and urban development are carefully planned and regulated to ensure that Kauai continues to be "'Phe Garden Island." U~ ~t~s Businesses, residences, and other urban uses are concentrated in Kaua`i's towns and residential communities, occupying only five percent of the total. land area. 'To aninianize highway traffic and avoid urban sprawl, new residential communities are centered around the treajor towns aa~d job centers of L~u`e-I-Ianama`ulu-Puhi and Kaloanl'o`ip~. In the past two decades, the largest number of new residences have been built in two new develolsmetats on either side of Lr~u`e a the master-planned community of l~aakeall'uhi to the west and, on to the east and north, an extension of Ir,~n~~ `e town, filling in around the air~rt and fianaanll`ul.u. ~~nother new residentiaUresort cc~€nm€~n€ty continues to develop at Ka~kui`ula, znear po`ip~. expansion of urban areas, particularly new shopping centers and other retail developments which attract a Large amount of vehicular traffiic, are controlled to avoid ban sprawl and 2-1Q ¦ ~ssa'i Gesaeral PEa¢~