Six cities that made urban swimming the norm (and prove Melbourne can too)
A Swimmable Birrarung by 2030 might be Wildly Ambitious, but look a little further afield and you’ll find plenty of cities that have developed strong urban swimming cultures, despite the (systemic) odds.
Picture this: it’s stinking hot and you’re on your lunch break in Melbourne CBD.
You have 20 minutes until you’re needed back at the office. So you head down to Fed Square, grab a towel and some togs – which are available to hire for free – and ease yourself into the (clean!) river, before fully submerging yourself and feeling your core body temperature plummet. Phewf.
This is the vision driving Regen Melbourne’s Swimmable Birrarung project: a Wild and Ambitious initiative to make the Birrarung swimmable by the year 2030. Though it might sound far fetched at first, you don’t have to look far for examples of cities that have brought swimming and regeneration into the heart of their urban centres. Here’s an inexhaustive list of some of the examples our team draw inspiration and motivation from on our journey towards a Swimmable Birrarung.
France: The Seine's rebirth
In July 2023, the city of Paris announced plans to allow swimming in the Seine for the first time in 100 years, with three monitored bathing zones set to open in 2025. The news broke 25 years after Jacques Chirac promised swimming would be possible within three years. Better late than never.
Swimming in the Seine will be a legacy of the 2024 Paris Olympics, during which the river will host three aquatic events. Over the last seven years, a clean-up project to the tune of €1.4b has resulted in the water – which was previously ravaged by E Coli and enterococci – now being bacteria-free 90% of the time. “Paris is doing this right under our noses,” says Regen Melbourne CEO Kaj Lofgren. “It’s hard, it’s complex, it costs a lot of money, but it’s totally achievable.”
In 2017, Paris also legalised swimming in the Canal De L’Ourcq, in the city’s north-east, and introduced three large floating ‘pools’ that hundreds of Parisiens flock to daily.
Norway: Oslo's Sørenga seawater pool
Oslo’s Sørenga seawater pool | Eirik Skarstein
Oslo offers a unique urban swimming experience along its coastline, where the Oslofjord meets the cityscape. The Sørenga Seawater Pool is perched at the water's edge and provides a unique combination of fresh and saltwater swimming. The pool is a testament to Oslo's ambition to combine sustainable urban development with leisure. It uses seawater pumped in from the Oslofjord and filters it to ensure pristine swimming conditions.
This innovative approach not only offers a clean and safe swimming experience, but also demonstrates Oslo's commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly urban planning. It is a prime example of how a city can reimagine its relationship with water and reconnect its citizens to nature as an essential part of everyday life.
Denmark: Copenhagen’s Harbour Baths
Copenhagen’s world-class harbour baths are the result of extensive work in cleaning and regenerating the water in Copenhagen’s harbour. The Harbour Bath (Havnebadet) was opened in 2002 just 200 metres from city hall, offering a stunning swimming and recreational area in the centre of town.
The project was made possible by the City of Copenhagen’s commitment to cut out sewer overflows (which led to unsafe water quality). Over a 20-year period, the city poured money into treatment plants and sewer systems, resulting in a huge improvement in water quality. To maintain the safety of the water, a transmitter indicates when sewers are at risk of overflow (and flowing into the harbour) and sends out an automatic text message to relevant government officials, who inform the public.
Copenhagen’s Harbour Baths – which now span some four locations across the city – are one of the most fully realised examples anywhere in the world of regenerated urban waterways and all the benefits that come with them.
Switzerland: Everything is swimmable
Lake Zurich, Switzerland | Rico Reutimann
Get this: most of Switzerland’s lakes and rivers are swimmable. And nestled along the pristine shores of Lake Zurich and interlaced with a network of rivers, Zurich offers plenty of opportunities for residents and visitors to take a dip in the heart of the city. The Seebad Enge is a historic lakeside pool that exemplifies Zurich's dedication to urban swimming. Dating back to the 19th century, the elegant facility boasts stunning views of the surrounding Alps and city skyline.
The Limmat River, which flows through the city centre, is another favourite spot for urban swimmers. Locals can often be seen donning wetsuits, taking a dip, and allowing the current to carry them downstream while soaking in the picturesque cityscape. Clean water, well-maintained facilities, and a strong sense of community among swimmers all contribute to the city's thriving urban swimming culture. What’s not to love?
England: Swimming in the River Thames
The Thames might have a murky reputation for being…well, murky, but swimming spots abound if you know where to look. While swimming in the Thames between Putney and Thamesmead isn’t allowed, that doesn’t mean it’s completely off the cards. Far from it. For a truly inner-city dip, Royal Docks in London’s Docklands offers a lifeguarded swimming area and there’s even 400m, 750m and 1,500m routes demarcated.
You can also head upriver and and find a great variety of swimming spots to wile away the lazy summer afternoons – from Hampstead Heath, Runnymede Pleasure Grounds, Thames Lido (an Edwardian ‘water palace’), and Penton Hook Island. “When you hear that sections of the Thames are swimmable, that’s what gives me the biggest hope,” says Charity Mosienyane, Lead Convenor of Regen Melbourne’s Swimmable Birrarung project. “People swim there all the time, and the river goes through the heart of a city. It’s very different to Melbourne, but you can see the parallels.”
Australia: Swimming in the Paramatta River (and the Urban Plunge movement)
A swimmable section of the Parramatta River | Parramatta River Catchment Group
Closer to home, the Parramatta River in Sydney recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary of making the river swimmable again. There are now five swimming locations along the river with 10 more planned by 2025. Launched by the Parramatta River Catchment Group in 2014, the ‘Our Living River’ mission is a beacon for what is possible with the Swimmable BIrrarung – and so close to home you can almost (almost!) touch it.
Swimming in the Parramatta has also been the catalyst to activating the reality of urban swimming across Greater Sydney – check out the Urban Plunge movement, which is empowering citizens to find, access and care about their local waterways.
And of course, as any self-respecting Melburnian would know: if Sydney can do it, then so can we.
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