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Swimmable Cities

swimmablecities.org

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Re: Swimmable Cities

#21

Post by knallfrosch »

simonebrunozzi wrote: post #19
coreyh14444 wrote: post #9

American living in Copenhagen here. We check all of these boxes. The entire channel that runs through town is swimmable thanks to decades of work cleaning it up. On a warm summer day, you could expect maybe 1000+ swimmers in the water in the city centre across all the locations. We also do Vinterbadere (Winter Bathing) throughout the year. The only time you can't swim is after a day or two of sustained rain and there…

Why you can't swim after the rain? Does the water get dirty, or else?

Sewage and rainwater in the canals.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#22

Post by beAbU »

I'm tickled by the African contact email address at the bottom of the page.

"Roomys" translates to "Ice Cream" - and with Nandos being a South African fast food chain, and well known for their razor sharp marketing department, I wonder what the story is there...

Re: Swimmable Cities

#23

Post by defrost »

Perth, Western Australia is very swimmable, river through the heart, great beaches to one edge.

Very occassionally sharks, although these aren't something locals much worry about: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-15/bull-shark-involved-i...

    Her death was the first fatal shark attack in the river in 100 years.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#24

Post by boredtofears »

RajT88 wrote: post #15

Fucking mad, but I love it. Of course, you need to work into the culture swimming as a foundational cultural thing. (Not so in the US!) I can see us getting there in some decades. It tracks with other aspirational goals which are in progress.

Why would you think swimming isn’t a cultural thing in the US? Municipal pools are everywhere across the US - and practically a staple for southwest residences. The US produces some of the world’s greatest swimmers. It’s a part of school curriculum and while we don’t really have swimmable canal cities (like most of North America) there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy swimming.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#25

Post by navane »

I was in Basel last summer. The Rhine splits the city in two, and all along it's shore is a boulevard / terrace / stairs to the water, and it felt like the whole city was swimming in it along the entire length.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#26

Post by chinathrow »

defrost wrote: post #23

Perth, Western Australia is very swimmable, river through the heart, great beaches to one edge. Very occassionally sharks, although these aren't something locals much worry about: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-15/bull-shark-involved-i... Her death was the first fatal shark attack in the river in 100 years.

> although these aren't something locals much worry about

Not so sure about that. I know of folks avoiding the swan river near the ocean mouth completely since the attack.

Re: Swimmable Cities

#28

Post by Nursie »

defrost wrote: post #23

Perth, Western Australia is very swimmable, river through the heart, great beaches to one edge. Very occassionally sharks, although these aren't something locals much worry about: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-15/bull-shark-involved-i... Her death was the first fatal shark attack in the river in 100 years.

Locals mostly don't swim in the swan/canning estuary because it's full of jellyfish[1]. The water quality is fine but ... ewww.

They're not particularly harmful ones but you don't want to get any part of them in your eye.

I have heard, though can't substantiate, that the mass jellyfish population (and there really are swarms of them) is down to the ecosystem having been basically plundered to extinction, and jellies having colonised. I guess in time things that eat jellies will become more prevalent and eventually a more normal ecosystem may return. The jellies appear to be introduced from the queensland area, and may have arrived in ships ballast.

Also yeah, poor woman, jumped in to swim with the dolphins and one of them wasn't a dolphin. Bull sharks have been seen fairly far upriver too. Rather take my chances in the sea.

([1] Phyllorhiza punctata - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllorhiza_punctata)

Re: Swimmable Cities

#29

Post by unixhero »

defrost wrote: post #23

Perth, Western Australia is very swimmable, river through the heart, great beaches to one edge. Very occassionally sharks, although these aren't something locals much worry about: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-15/bull-shark-involved-i... Her death was the first fatal shark attack in the river in 100 years.

And probably quick too

Re: Swimmable Cities

#30

Post by unixhero »

chris_armstrong wrote: post #17

Interesting to see Sydney Water put their sponsorship near the top of this. So much of Sydney including its larger rivers and waterholes are swimmable. Even our unique (but not very well known) ocean pools make many of our more dangerous surf beaches accessible.

》Even our unique (but not very well known) ocean pools make many of our more dangerous surf beaches accessible.

What do you mean?

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