<p>Historic and contemporary urban development drives landscape fragmentation and habitat loss. Nonetheless, urban areas are now considered opportunities for habitats. Particular bat species have adapted to urban areas but still face barriers in the landscape. This study investigates design measures to integrate conservation of pond bat (<i>Myotis dasycneme</i>) into urban expansion plans. Bats respond to the landscape at different scales; this study explores the regional scale to include their habitat network consisting of roosts, foraging areas and corridors, in a study area in Overijssel, Netherlands. A ‘research through design’ approach was adopted to develop, apply and assess spatial concepts of open space and housing development and design guidelines based on the bat’s life history resulting in landscape ecological spatial concepts (LESCs) that were combined in scenarios and assessed by experts. The LESC for roosting patches that adopts dispersed, low-density housing development was chosen as best for providing new roosts. For foraging patches, it is optimal to provide diverse patches integrated in an open space system, keeping water areas for humans and pond bats separate. To complete their network, providing alternative corridor loops for connectivity reduces the impact of barriers in established corridors, whilst the latter are preserved. This research provides tools to plan and design urbanizing areas in consideration of a sensitive but less-charismatic bat species while addressing housing needs through a transdisciplinary approach that combines design with theory from other disciplines.</p>