Climate change presents urgent challenges: flooding, drought, and shifting landscapes demand smart, integrated solutions. But how can we bring policymakers, designers, researchers, and citizens together to make real, future-proof decisions? Tangible Landscape (TL) offers an innovative way forward.
TL combines a physical sand model with digital map projections and hydrological simulations. During workshops, participants can literally shape the landscape with their hands and immediately see the effects of their choices—how water flows change, how elevations shift, and how different scenarios play out. Originally developed at North Carolina State University in 2015, TL has since early 2024 been adapted by Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR) for use in climate-resilience planning. In workshops such as the water safety landscape project in Rhine-Waal junction area, professionals from waterboards, engineering firms, and drinking water companies responded with enthusiasm: TL helped them better understand dynamic landscapes, think creatively, and collaborate more effectively.
Despite these successes, the current TL setup still faces major limitations regarding Low accessibility, Limited scale and precision, Mono hydrological model, and Suboptimal co-creation effectiveness. It relies on complex software, requires advanced technical skills, and lacks precision for detailed planning. It is time-consuming to operate and not accessible to most stakeholders. The core idea is strong—but to truly scale its impact, a new version is needed. These limitations stand in the way of testing the true potential of TL in increasing the effectiveness of the creative co-creation process. Our central research question guiding the project is:
“How effectively can TL 2.0 support co-creation in spatial planning for climate adaptation?”

To answer this research question, we would like to address the limitations as were found in previous sessions and find out if reducing these limitations will increase the effectiveness of TL in the co-creation process.
• Improving accessibility by developing a plugin in QGIS —a widely used, free GIS platform—making it far more accessible than current setups;
• Enhancing scale and precision by integrating a high-resolution scanner that enables the plug-in to generate accurate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) as input for different hydrological models;
• Expanding applicability by connecting to both surface and groundwater models. It will cover flooding and drought climate issues.
• Boosting user-friendliness by creating a simplified, intuitive user interface, eliminating the need for coding skills or specialist software, and adding the ability to instantly visualize the impact of landscape changes during co-creation workshops.
To evaluate the impact of TL 2.0, the project will apply it in two case studies:
• Dutch case (Renkum and its surroundings): As a case in Knowledge-Based project in Nature Based Solutions to translate long-term vision to applicable policies, TL 2.0 will support the design of nature-based solutions (such as tree planting and meandering waterways) and test how stakeholder input can shape spatial interventions and water retention capacities.
• International case (Datong Village, China): A site in the upper reaches of the Xin’an River Basin, where landscape architecture students from Tongji University will use TL 2.0 in their graduation projects with a participatory approach with local stakeholders. The tool will help the students and local stakeholders to better understand landscape dynamics, water resilience, and the integration of GIS in design.
After each workshop, participants will complete feedback questionnaires assessing their experience and the tool’s contribution to collaboration and decision-making. These results will be compared with earlier feedback from the Rhine-Waal session to assess improvements in usability and impact.

In short, Tangible Landscape 2.0 will transform how we plan for the future—by making complex landscape systems more visible, design processes more inclusive, and climate adaptation more actionable. With its playful yet powerful approach, TL 2.0 is a tool for change—connecting ideas, people, and policies to create better landscapes for tomorrow.

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