The Danube river is Europe’s second largest and flows east from Germany to the Black sea through diverse foothills and plains. On the river bank of the midstream in the Vojvodina region, focus area of this thesis, the city of Novi Sad lies. As a result of agricultural practice and urban settlements in the former floodplain, the Danube river became constrained. On the left bank of the Danube at Novi Sad, a relic of the dynamic midstream river processes lies, a river island called Kamenička ada.

In the context of Novi Sad, the human impact on the river landscape is evident and has led to a polluted and partly chopped up system with cut-off floodplains. Less space is left for the riparian zone and the river channels, which means increase of flood risk. Important dynamic river processes, such as erosion, sedimentation and occasional floodings are undermined in these areas, resulting in deteriorating ecological quality and a static environment. The former characteristic braided river with multiple channels and river islands have become a rare sight.

Focus lies on tackling three main issues related to the water, the ecology and the culture: the components that form the layered landscape. The first issue is related to the unbalanced amount of fresh water, which means the flood risk and the droughts. The second focus is the loss of the typical braided system with the riparian ecological zone. At last, the relationship between the people of Novi Sad and its public space is highlighted: the disconnection between the locals and the river floodplain. Due to the complexity of ownership of public space in the Yugoslavia period, the connection is neglected.

Kamenička ada, a former river island, has the potential to mitigate these issues and become a project example for spatial development based on a landscape approach. Therefore, the aim is of this thesis is to develop a landscape-based regeneration strategy for the Danube at Novi Sad and to demonstrate the potential of a landscape approach for designing a social-ecological inclusive and flood proof island, Kamenička Ada.

The issues are tackled by using a landscape approach, which takes the landscape structure and processes as foundation for spatial development. From this approach the importance of nature based solutions are understood and applied, together with an understanding of urban and ecological resilience and the interconnections in the river system. The layers of the landscape, the water, the ecology and culture are guiding principles throughout the research.

The result of this research is an analysis and understanding of the challenges and potentials for the spatial development of Novi Sad and the translation of four spatial strategies to design principles. Secondly an application in the form of a strategic vision for the river island Kamenička ada and a reflection on the connection of the river island to the bigger context. Kamenička ada becomes an example for landscape based and resilient spatial development in the urban context of the river for the midstream of the Danube.