Swimmable Cities

SC SUMMIT 2025 - Early Bird Registrations NOW OPEN!!! We’re inviting you to be part of a 3-day knowledge exchange between passionate thought leaders and changemakers at the forefront of the international urban swimming movement. Set in Rotterdam’s Rijnhaven, you’ll witness their urban waterway transformation first hand, while connecting to the latest insights and breakthrough innovations from cities around the world. Early Bird Registration will be open until March 22 (World Water Day).? LEAD THE MOVEMENT, REGISTER NOW!!! Go to: https://lnkd.in/gBwjyjVG #Swim2Summit #SwimmableCities #SCSummit2025 #Rotterdam #MakeItHappen #RightToSwim? #NatureRights #GenerationRestoration #WaterWiseEU Gemeente Rotterdam Rotterdam Partners Ana Mumladze Detering Chris Romer-Lee Sibylle vd Walt Tim Edler Matt Sykes UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration ING Media Caz Facey Lucie Murray

?'Swim Melbourne: Mapping places to swim in Melbourne'. This wonderful map, made by Rebecca Olive, tells stories of swimming, as well as offering a guide to public places that people can swim across the city. It includes indoor and outdoor pools, ocean baths, rivers, the bay, and gives detailed information for each site including costs, classes, opening times, etc. It's not a comprehensive guide - there are lots of places not included - but it focuses on places that have forms of safety infrastructure (e.g. access points, facilities) that make these places safe for most people. This map highlights how much swimming is a part of the landscape and life of Melbourne. It also gives into how important swimming is to communities today and how it will become increasingly vital as the planetary climate continues to change.?

Announcement: Budapest, Vilnius & Sheboygan join the Swimmable Cities alliance ahead of World Water Day 2025 125 diverse organisations across 72 cities and towns, and 27 countries have now signed the Swimmable Cities Charter, a set of common principles that promote the cleaning up of urban waterways and communities’ Right to Swim. The fourth intake, comprising 20 new Signatories, notably includes the municipalities of Budapest (HUN), Vilnius (LTU) and Sheboygan (USA), which join Rotterdam (NL), Yarra (Melbourne, AUS), Alsergrund (Vienna, AUT), and Annapolis (USA). For the full announcement, go to:? https://lnkd.in/gkkwusAY We warmly welcome our Round 4 Signatories! MUNICIPALITIES - Budapest City Diplomacy, Hungary - City of Sheboygan, WI, USA - Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuania BUSINESSES, ORGANISATIONS & GROUPS North America: - The Great Lakes Trust – Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - Masters Swimming Sudbury (MSS) – Sudbury, Ontario, Canada South America: - Guanabara Bay Basin Committee – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Neopictonic – Cartagena, Colombia Europe - Neckarinsel e.V. – Stuttgart, Germany - sereia Naturspiritualit?t – Esslingen am Neckar, Germany - Studio ID Eddy – Rotterdam, Netherlands - SPISEA – Lyon, France - Wearth Group – Port, France - EAULISTIC? BE – Belgium? - Vlny ?tvanice – Prague, Czech Republic Asia & Pacific - Enduro Sports Goa – Panaji, Goa, India - Yarra Riverkeeper Association – Melbourne, Australia - KooyongKoot Alliance – Melbourne, Australia - Real Water, Melbourne, Australia UK: - Thames21, London Multiple Locations - I AM WATER – NYC, USA & Ljubljana, Slovenia Individuals: - Scott S. - Los Angeles, California, USA - Fiona Gibson - Gold Coast, Australia & London, UK (Individual) By becoming a Signatory to the Swimmable Cities Charter, these organisations are showing a public commitment to working in accordance with its principles and the values of the urban swimming movement. In particular, they stand for the #RightToSwim - Safe, healthy and swimmable waterways should be accessible to all people. Round 5 Expressions of Interest for becoming a Swimmable Cities Charter signatory are now open! Go to:?https://lnkd.in/ews9ZVSb #SwimmableCities #WorldWaterDay2025 #Swim2Summit #GenerationRestoration?UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Ana Mumladze Detering Sibylle vd Walt Chris Romer-Lee Tim Edler Adriaan van der Linden Matt Sykes

From sewage and scum to swimming in ‘blue gold’: how Switzerland transformed its rivers and is now known for it’s wonderful swimming In the 1960s, Switzerland had among the dirtiest water in Europe, blighted by mats of algae, mountains of foam, scum, and dead fish floating on the surface. For decades, swimming was banned in some rivers such as the Aare and Limmat on health grounds, and people could get ill if they swallowed the water. Now Switzerland has some of the cleanest rivers in Europe. According to 2023 data from the European Environment Agency, just five of the country’s 196 bathing areas were rated as poor quality. Politicians across the spectrum agree on the need to prioritise clean water. Read all about it in this article from The Guardian by Phoebe Weston https://lnkd.in/d_hRBxVc

Swimmable Cities on Tour, 2025 - Rotterdam ?? ? It was the first time Chris had been in Rotterdam for over 25 years. The city was almost unrecognisable, most notably around the Rijnhaven, the location for the Swimmable Cities Summit (22-24 June / link). As Lucas Vroom was busy doing other things, Jorg Pieneman and Marilotte Stemerdink were there to greet Chris and show him the proposals for the Rijnhaven and more broadly swimming in Rotterdam. ??? There was then time for a look around the LantarenVenster, the venue for the Swimmable Cities Summit. Surrounded by striking contemporary architecture the cinema and theatre complex sits below a residential tower, all designed by Pritzker Prize winning Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza. One of Siza’s first commissions was the world famous Piscina das Marés (1966) in Porto. ?? ?? LantarenVenster is the perfect venue for our inaugural summit and we’re extremely grateful to the City of Rotterdam for providing this and the day’s hospitality. We’ll be in hall 1 which is equally good for cinema, theatre or conferences. The generous foyer and bar area will also be available for drinks and more informal discussions. What we’re all most excited about is the proximity of the venue to the swimming area within the Rijnhaven. 20m from LantarenVenster’s café terrace is a vast free swimming area and floating park. ??♂? And as ever, even in chilly March there were already people swimming! ? ?? Does this make you excited for the SC Summit in Rotterdam, June 22-24?! ?? Dive into our event page (https://lnkd.in/gBwjyjVG) and secure your place First stop: World Waterday celebration on March 19th (online: https://lnkd.in/gRjV6tDJ) #SwimmableCities #waterwiseeu #makeithappen Rotterdam Partners Gemeente Rotterdam - Stadsontwikkeling

Swimmable Cities on Tour, 2025 - Amsterdam Following their presentations at the (Re)Connecting River and City: The Seine in Paris and the Ile de France Conference, Adriaan van der Linden and Chris Romer-Lee arrived in Amsterdam for the Integrated Leaders Forum at Aquatech. Swimmable Cities was invited to join the Round Table Sessions thanks to an invitation from our friends at World Waternet, Frodo Van Oostveen and Ianthe de Bra. Our two round table sessions were invigilated by Julanda Al Mohamed (OQ8, Oman) and attended by water sector leaders from across the world. Chris and Adriaan set out the alliance’s progress and ambitions for urban water the world over. The discussion centred around evidence of economic benefits of a swimmable city, governance, risk, Swimmable Cities beyond the summit and Swimmable Cities Cities Program. We were joined by leaders from Cincinnati, Budapest, Oxford, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Belgium and The Hague. A boat tour and gala dinner followed for all ILF delegates. After a night in an old bridge house (SWEETS hotel) and a swim in the Amstel, Chris moved on to meet our summit hosts in Rotterdam. Thank you for joining us Joseph Danyluk, AICP, Cecília Correia, Pedro Teixeira, Hans Goossens, Gritta Nottelman, Sam Dennis, Géza Cs?rnyei, Rosanne Meilink ! Does this make you excited for the SC Summit in Rotterdam, June 22-24?! Dive into our event page (https://lnkd.in/gBwjyjVG) and secure your place First stop: World Waterday celebration on March 19th (online: https://lnkd.in/gRjV6tDJ) #SwimmableCities #waterwiseeu ?

SOP 2025 – Session 7?? Baignade en Seine : vers un héritage ? ?? Vendredi 4 avril 2025 ?? 9h00 - 12h30 ??? Maison de l’Université, Campus de Mont-Saint-Aignan Les Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de Paris 2024 ont ravivé l’ambition de rendre la Seine baignable. Mais quels sont les enjeux juridiques, environnementaux et sociaux liés à cet héritage ? Cette session, organisée par Charly Machemehl (ma?tre de conférences en STAPS et Directeur du CEROUEN Université de Rouen Normandie) et Isabelle Raymond-Maugé (membre du collectif "Seine Vivante"), explorera les transformations en cours et les perspectives d’avenir pour la baignade en Seine et dans ses affluents en métropole. Programme : ?? Partie 1 : Conférences (9h00 - 11h00) ● Stéphane Pessina, Professeur des Universités en droit, Université de Rouen Normandie, CUREJ ROUEN ?? La Seine et le Droit : brève analyse de quelques controverses actuelles ● Cedric Fisson, Chargé de mission qualité de l’eau, GIP SEINE-AVAL ?? Histoire croisée de l'évolution de la qualité des eaux de la Seine et des usages ludiques en estuaire ● Julia Moutiez, Doctorante et architecte, Centre de Recherche sur l’Habitat-LAVUE, Ecole d'Architecture de Paris-Val-de-Seine ?? La baignade en Seine et en Marne, vers un nouveau type d'héritage "environnemental" pour justifier l'accueil des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques ? ● Clément Brun, Doctorant-chercheur au LACES EA 7437 et au laboratoire PAVE, ENSAP Bordeaux ?? Transformer la Seine après les JOP : vision, conflits et enjeux d’aménagement pour une ouverture à la baignade en 2025 ?? Partie 2 : Table ronde (11h00 - 12h30) Avec la participation de : ● David Lamiray, Maire de la Ville de Maromme, Vice-Président en charge du sport à la Métropole Rouen Normandie ● Alexandre FUZEAU, Président de l’International Ice Swimming Association-France, médecin référent de la Fédération Fran?aise de Natation pour la nage en eau glacée ● Paul Kennouche, Chef du p?le qualité de l’eau et de la mission baignade, Ville de Paris, Docteur en microbiologie ● jerome le bouard, Responsable adjoint du p?le santé environnement, ARS Normandie ● Stéphanie Peigney-Couderc, Directrice territoriale adjointe, Voies navigables de France (VNF) Cette session sera l’occasion de mieux comprendre comment la baignade en Seine peut devenir un héritage durable des JOP 2024 et quels défis restent à relever pour une réouverture au public. ?? Programme détaillé?: https://lnkd.in/eRiU8jeX Crédits photos?: Philippe Vue, Jean-Paul Viot, Isabelle Raymond-Maugé #SOP2025 #Seine #Baignade #HéritageJOP2024 #Environnement #QualitéDeLEau #swimmablecities #rouen Comité National Olympique et Sportif Fran?ais (CNOSF) Ministère des Sports, de la Jeunesse et de la Vie associative Ministère chargé de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche Rouen Seine Normande 2028 Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 Comité Paralympique et Sportif Fran?ais Caux Seine agglo

??Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan kickstarts coalition to deliver major new improvements to London’s rivers ?? Sadiq Khan has made promises to make the Thames swimmable again and is Ajax delivering. There has been recent progress in areas such as Southwark, where swimmers can now try open water swimming sessions at Greenland Dock, near Canada Water. The Mayor, TfL, London Wildlife Trust and Thames Water recently announced injection of over ￡1.8 billion across the next five years to protect and improve river health in London. The Mayor is determined to ensure that waterways are opened up for all communities, regardless of race and socio-economic status. For many, London’s waterways offer an escape – but research published today suggests not all Londoners currently feel the benefits. Only a quarter believe rivers are very or somewhat clean and healthy, and access is unequal. As stated by Lars Weiss Mayor of Copenhagen “Mayor Khan’s initiative to transform London’s rivers will not only enhance biodiversity and public health but will also strengthen resilience in the face of the climate crisis.” Nathaniel Cole Mete Coban MBE Danielle Obe Steve Backshall David Mooney Andy Lord Chris Weston Andy Mitchell CBE keep up the good work! https://lnkd.in/eKzVDGKj

This is real progress. Thanks Mete Coban MBE. You have the full support of Swimmable Cities. I hope we can tempt a member of your team to join us in #Rotterdam for the inaugural #SwimmableCities Summit - 22-24 June. https://lnkd.in/eZ9PqzqX

Swimmable Cities on Tour, 2025 - Paris Co-Founder Chris Romer-Lee and ambassador Adriaan van der Linden were on the move this week, connecting with fellow actors in the international urban swimming movement. First Stop - (Re)Connecting River and City: The Seine in Paris and the Ile de France Conference at the IEA de Paris (Paris Institute for Advanced Study) by Carola Hein of Leiden, Delft & Rotterdam Universities, PortCityFutures. The conference bought together French and European actors and activists working in the urban water space. Adriaan presented a provocative talk on managing risk around water, whilst Chris closed the event with a passionate call for the rewriting of city authority rules to provide more quality in city’s ‘blue’ spaces. Other presentations included research into urban bathing typologies, the forthcoming Seine bathing sites and water quality. There was an overriding ugly presence of the three ‘s’ surfacing throughout all presentations – SEWAGE – SHIPPING – SAFETY. Swimming in urban waterways is drowning under the pressure of these forces but the campaigning is making progress. Other talks were given by Benoit Hachet (EHESS), Emmanuelle Lallement (Université Paris 8), Julia Moutiez (CRH-LAVUE), Clément Brun (Université de Bordeaux), Bruno Gouyette (Ville de Paris), Léonard Bertrand, Annabelle Nantier (Ville de Paris),?Yixin Cao (University of Strasbourg), Tilly Stroo and Elizabeth Hameeteman, PhD (Wavemakers United), Lucas Vroom and Jorg Pieneman (City of Rotterdam). Does this make you excited for the SC Summit in Rotterdam, June 22-24?! Dive into our event page (https://lnkd.in/epjA56AR) and secure your place First stop: World Waterday celebration on March 19th (online) #SwimmableCities #waterwiseeu