Cities like Copenhagen, Zurich and many others have, of course, long been pioneers when it comes getting people into natural waterways. But this summer we notably saw the fruits of Paris' €1.6 billion investment to clean up the Seine ahead of the Olympic Games. And so very quickly, it is becoming clear that this is becoming one of the hallmarks of the world's most livable cities. How clean is your water and do you enable your citizens to easily swim in it?

It's for this reason that earlier in the summer I wrote a post titled "Toronto needs a summer bathing culture." It was not to suggest that nobody swims in our bodies of water — lots of people do — it was to argue that there's more we could be doing. Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion, to give just one example, feels like a century-old abandoned relic sitting on prime beachfront.

Some of you seemed to take offence to this post, suggesting that I should maybe get out and swim in some of our outdoor pools, like the one at Sunnyside. And I can assure you that I have. I'm a regular swimmer in the public pools of Toronto. But that is not what this urban swimming renaissance is about: "Contrary to popular belief, or simply a fair assumption, a lido does not a swimmable city make."

What this is about is free, easy access to natural bodies of water. And what makes this livability feature so meaningful is that it's both an urban amenity and clear evidence that a city has their shit together (pun intended). It means the city has high standards for water quality and that it manages its sewage in a way that doesn't pollute its waterways.

Summer isn't over yet, so if you live in a place where this is possible, go for a swim. And if you'd like to become more involved in this movement, check out The Swimmable Cities alliance. Launched on the eve of the Paris Olympics, it is now a global community dedicated to transforming our urban waterways. There is also the option for organizations to become signatories. Globizen has just applied to be one, and maybe you'd like to do the same.

Photo: Helsinki by Kuvio

Cities like Copenhagen, Zurich and many others have, of course, long been pioneers when it comes getting people into natural waterways. But this summer we notably saw the fruits of Paris' €1.6 billion investment to clean up the Seine ahead of the Olympic Games. And so very quickly, it is becoming clear that this is becoming one of the hallmarks of the world's most livable cities. How clean is your water and do you enable your citizens to easily swim in it?

It's for this reason that earlier in the summer I wrote a post titled "Toronto needs a summer bathing culture." It was not to suggest that nobody swims in our bodies of water — lots of people do — it was to argue that there's more we could be doing. Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion, to give just one example, feels like a century-old abandoned relic sitting on prime beachfront.

Some of you seemed to take offence to this post, suggesting that I should maybe get out and swim in some of our outdoor pools, like the one at Sunnyside. And I can assure you that I have. I'm a regular swimmer in the public pools of Toronto. But that is not what this urban swimming renaissance is about: "Contrary to popular belief, or simply a fair assumption, a lido does not a swimmable city make."

What this is about is free, easy access to natural bodies of water. And what makes this livability feature so meaningful is that it's both an urban amenity and clear evidence that a city has their shit together (pun intended). It means the city has high standards for water quality and that it manages its sewage in a way that doesn't pollute its waterways.

Summer isn't over yet, so if you live in a place where this is possible, go for a swim. And if you'd like to become more involved in this movement, check out The Swimmable Cities alliance. Launched on the eve of the Paris Olympics, it is now a global community dedicated to transforming our urban waterways. There is also the option for organizations to become signatories. Globizen has just applied to be one, and maybe you'd like to do the same.

Photo: Helsinki by Kuvio