Designing with water in urban contexts – The experience of Felixx

The contribution introduces an original perspective by addressing the theme of climate adaptation through the lens of Water Urbanism and Water-sensitive Design, reframing it not merely as a technical or ecological matter, but as a transformative spatial paradigm. While the notion of ‘living with water’ is increasingly present in policy and research discourse, few studies explore its practical and spatial implications through concrete, multiscalar design strategies. To this end, the paper benefits from the in-depth investigation of the design methodology developed by the Dutch office Felixx, whose work aligns environmental regeneration with social inclusion and spatial justice. Focusing on the recent strategic Plan for Oude Landen, the contribution highlights how integrating new design tools can provide innovative instruments for guiding adaptive transformations across time, scale, and governance levels.