Basel shows cities worldwide how to make rivers swimmable

Delegations from more than 100 cities and dozens of countries travelled to Basel this week to learn how the Swiss city made swimming in the Rhine part of everyday urban life, SRF reports.

Urban planners, politicians, activists and water-protection experts joined thousands of residents for Basel’s official Rhine swim in mid-August. They were attending the Swimmable Cities European Forum, which brings together representatives of cities, authorities, academia and civil society to discuss water quality, safety, urban planning and climate adaptation.

Basel was chosen because it is considered an international model for urban river swimming. “We want to understand how and why swimming here became part of everyday culture,” said Ana Mumladze from Vienna. The Austrian capital also hopes people will one day be officially allowed to swim in the Danube Canal.

From industrial river to recreational space

Many participants came from cities whose rivers are still heavily polluted. Ryan Sorenson from the US state of Wisconsin said industry had contaminated his river and that efforts to clean it had continued for years. Initiatives in Los Angeles and Newcastle have similar aims, while access to rivers remains a problem in many places.

“We want to learn from Basel,” said Tariq Albassam from Newcastle.

Christoph Bosshardt, head of Basel’s location marketing department, said the city’s status as a model was the result of decades of work. Stricter laws had gradually improved water quality, while the 1986 chemical accident at Schweizerhalle had further advanced water protection, he said.

Clean water alone is not enough. Basel’s visitors also learned about the importance of showers, stairs, access points, rescue plans and clear rules. The city has deliberately expanded infrastructure along the Rhine over many years.

A river at the heart of city life

For cities such as Bern, Zurich and Basel, the Aare, Limmat and Rhine are more than waterways. They are recreational spaces, meeting places and ways to cool down during increasingly hot summers.

“The Rhine is an important part of everyday life for many people who live and work here,” said Basel government president Conradin Cramer. The value of being able to cool down in a river in the middle of the city becomes especially clear during periods of heat, he said.

Many forum participants were surprised that swimmers, recreational users and shipping share the Rhine, with people swimming just a few metres from cargo vessels. Bosshardt said this was possible because of clear rules and good information.

What has become routine in cities such as Basel remains a future vision for many cities around the world. Forum participants will now take that vision back to their own communities.