As climate change accelerates, the Netherlands faces increasing challenges from rising sea levels and extreme weather events, leading to floods and droughts. Traditional water management strategies, focused on controlling water through infrastructure such as dikes and barriers, are increasingly questioned due to rising uncertainties. This chapter explores the fuzzy boundary between land and water, focusing on floating urban development as part of a broader paradigm shift towards climate adaptation.

Drawing on recent projects that integrate ecological values, natural processes, and spatial planning into flood defence systems, we argue that a paradigm shift is underway. These initiatives suggest a move away from strictly engineered water management solutions towards more adaptive and multifunctional approaches. Within this changing landscape, we examine whether floating urban development can be part of this transition, addressing its potential and limitations in scaling up as a viable response to climate resilience.

Rising sea levels are placing increasing strain on densely populated coastal areas, challenging the sustainability of land reclamation as a long-term strategy. To address these pressures, a combination of innovative approaches is needed to create climate-resilient spaces for human activities. Among these, floating technologies show significant potential as part of a broader suite of adaptive solutions. While promising, the large-scale implementation of floating structures in coastal environments is still in its early stages. Scaling these technologies involves overcoming significant hurdles, including engineering and design complexities, governance and legislative constraints, ecological considerations, and social acceptance. To tackle these challenges, we propose a comprehensive methodology for designing floating developments. This methodology considers urban density, wave interactions and environmental conditions, acknowledging the complex interplay among these factors. Its broader scope reflects a multidisciplinary perspective, combining urbanism, environmental science, and hydrodynamics. By synthesizing multidisciplinary considerations, this methodology provides a structured framework to support the design, development, and governance of large-scale floating structures.