Room for the River

A example that powerfully illustrates this expanded partnership can be found in the Netherlands' nationwide "Room for the River" program. For centuries, the Dutch approach to flood control was one of dominance: building ever-higher dikes to contain rivers. Faced with increasing flood risk from climate change, the program enacted a fundamental shift. Instead of fighting the river, designers, engineers, and landscape architects began to partner with it. In over 30 locations, design decisions were directly dictated by the river's own agency and hydrological needs.