Reimaginning Urban Swimming - with Sander Belmans, Barbara Enckels and An Schepers
Reimagining urban swimming What does it take to transform a former industrial dock into a place where people can safely swim? In this episode of Cities Reimagined, Johannes visits the Keerdok in Mechelen, Belgium. Once dominated by warehouses, parking and industrial activity, the area is being transformed into a new urban neighbourhood that opens the city towards the water as part of the 'Water as the Source of Urban Public Space' Innovative Action funded by the European Urban Initiatives. He speaks with Sander Belmans from De Vlaamse Waterweg and An Schepers and Barbara Enckels from the City of Mechelen about the long process behind the city’s open-water swimming zone. After five years of temporary experiments, Mechelen is now preparing a permanent swimming facility at the Keerdok. The new design will combine swimming infrastructure, public space, shade, greenery and floating habitats for animals and plants. Listen to the episode here: 🎧 Spotify: [LINK] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: [LINK] ▶️ YouTube: [LINK] In this episode: ● How can cities make open-water swimming possible when the rules are not yet ready? ● How can swimming, shipping, biodiversity and public space coexist in the same waterway? ● What does it take to transform an industrial dock into a place where people want to swim? ● How can cities build a culture of safe and inclusive open-water swimming? ● How can cities overcome cultural barriers to open-water swimming? ● How can swimming areas work for different ages, abilities and user groups? Previous Cities Reimagined episodes from Mechelen Reimagining Mechelen, Parts 1 and 2 Explore how Mechelen is reconnecting people, public space and nature along the River Dijle, including how the city is experimenting with giving nature a voice in urban development. Nature’s comeback to Mechelen A conversation with city ecologist Michiel Van Mele and Maarten De Jonge about biodiversity, water quality and the return of nature to the Binnendijle. Learn more Discover WATSUPS on Portico Find articles, podcast episodes, project stories and lessons from Mechelen’s journey to reconnect people, animals and plants with the river. Visit the WATSUPS project page on the European Urban Initiative website Learn more about the project, its partnership and its ambition to develop water as an accessible and inclusive form of public space. WATSUPS, Water as the Source of Urban Public Space, is an Innovative Action supported by the European Urban Initiative and a New European Bauhaus demonstrator.
