Located at the southernmost boundary of peninsular Malaysia, Johor Baharu (JB) sits just across the narrow Straits of Johor from Singapore. JB is a common entry point into Malaysia for tourists and businesspeople, and an affordable alternative to Singapore where the cost of living is much higher. For the past decade, JB has worked hard to enhance its international reputation: embarking on ambitious plans to expand its ports, attract foreign real estate investment, and develop its shoreline through massive land reclamation projects. Many of these waterfront-oriented projects threaten the viability of coastal ecosystems services, particularly those provided by mangrove forests, and are at times incompatible with regional sustainable development goals. Some policies are already in place to ensure that rural fishery-dependent villages on the outskirts of the city benefit from new development, but tensions remain high between regional development goals and the needs of Malaysians dependent on shrinking and deteriorating coastal ecosystems for their livelihoods.