Legislation and regulation in spatial planning for multifunctional flood defense design

Can the recent rise of Dutch multifunctional flood defenses be explained by the increased integration between the water and spatial planning sectors, which compels Water Boards to collaborate with municipalities? An enquiry into the changing relations between water managers and municipalities as a result of changes in spatial and water-management regulations starting in the 1980s, and particularly since 2000s, indicates this hypothesis to be wrong.