The authors developed a collaboration between researchers and practitioners from the US, France and Australia emerging from conversations in Melbourne and Brisbane in 2023 to share ideas resulting in four key “ingredients” for effective waterway management 1) a strategic planning framework, 2) collaborative research models, 3) innovative planning and spatial tools, and 4) engagement practices for meaningful collaboration. The focus of this work is to propose a planning framework that guides the overall process of waterway management in the social context. Although the impacts of urbanization on streams is well described, the waterway manager faces the complex challenges of managing streams in a dynamic physical and social environment with limited resources. As stakeholder acceptance impacts the success of waterway interventions, a successful waterway manager must not only develop sufficient understanding of the waterway to inform effective management actions, but also maintain a functional relationship with stakeholders over time to be successful. To do this, governance structures and unique decision framing are also necessary to support a sustained, systematic, and efficient allocation of limited resources to address the scientific and social complexities inherent to urbanizing stream systems. We propose a strategic planning framework by which the waterway manager may develop a relevant understanding of the waterway, effectively assess the consequences of intervention alternatives, and align monitoring activities with waterway management interventions while collaborating with stakeholders including the community and academia throughout the process. By utilizing this integrated framework in framing the decision contexts, the waterway manager may maximize the value of information available, align organizational operations with decision-making, and effectively leverage knowledge of academia and the community to increase stakeholder acceptance and the effectiveness of waterway management decisions.