Makena Coffman

Makena Coffman is a Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawaii and Director of the Institute for Sustainability. Her research addresses energy sustainability, climate resilience, and resource management through system modeling and policy analysis.

Key research areas include: 1) Climate adaptation strategies for coastal communities, 2) Economic analysis of sustainability transitions, 3) Post-disaster recovery planning, and 4) Resource management in island contexts. Recent work examines sea level rise impacts on property values and wildfire recovery in Maui.

Publications demonstrate strong policy engagement, with work spanning climate risk assessment, housing affordability, and Hawaiian political economy. Methodologies frequently integrate economic modeling with spatial planning approaches.