Selecting policy instrument mixes for spatial quality: insights from Dutch flood risk management

Flood risk management increasingly focuses on integrated approaches and ‘spatial quality’. Previous research emphasizes the importance of policy instrument mixes for achieving spatial quality, but the specific mixes adopted and their selection processes remain unclear. Based on a survey of 62 project managers from the Dutch Flood Protection Programme, we found that achieving spatially embedded flood risk management heavily relies on the project’s goals, the individual experiences of team members and the institutional context. As there is little central guidance on spatial quality, these factors are likely to lead to spatially unequal outcomes.