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Measures taken to address climate change and sustainability, more generally, imply a major reconfiguration of infrastructure systems and the built environment. Action across so many functions necessarily involves a range of organisations that may have differing priorities and motivations. This paper presents the concept of a decision theatre and describes how this approach was tested by co-designing, with a range of stakeholders, two events to identify the current vulnerabilities of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne to a storm event and to investigate the effectiveness of adaptation options to surface water flooding. The collaborative environment improved understanding of the physical and social vulnerabilities in the city, defined research questions relevant to society, improved the consideration of policy suggestions grounded in reality and improved the joint ownership of the issues and the facility itself. The lessons learned helped develop a long-term vision for a more widely applicable research and engagement facility for exploring and understanding decision-making with a range of stakeholders, including the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]