This paper draws attention to a case in which Natura 2000 regulation, problematic ecological conditions, governance congestion and the aim to develop large urban projects are to go hand in hand in the soft space of the Markermeer-IJmeer area, a 30 by 25 km lake in the centre of the Netherlands. The key interest is how central regulation is interpreted and bended to fit local interactive patterns. This is referred to as the contextualization of legal norms (Rijswick & Salet 2012). Contextualization aims to bring regulatory and governance steering philosophies together, rather than traditionally separating them. This requires certain characteristics from both the central legislation and the governance arrangements on the local level. By analyzing the case of the Markermeer-IJmeer, in which over 80 different stakeholders are somehow involved, this paper aims to show under what conditions central regulation can contribute to creative governance solutions.