Abstract Forums play a crucial role in how polycentric governance systems adapt by allowing actors to deliberate on how to respond to exogenous change. However, the exact role of forums remains unclear, as prior studies on polycentric governance often examine different types of actors and network structures separately. To address this issue, we combine insights from actor and network level analyses to compare how actors in three Dutch metropolitan areas use forum shifting, shopping, and linking as strategies to create and adjust forums in response to a change in national spatial policy. We find that actors create and adjust forums through a combination of strategies. Combining strategies not only helps to create and adjust forums but also legitimizes their existence. Which strategies are combined depends on the interaction between actors that are both resource rich and highly active, and how these actors are positioned in a particular polycentric governance network.