Reviving Urban Swimming in Europe: Navigating Complexity Between Natural and Cultural Heritage

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.2.19

Published

2026-03-23

Issue

Water & Heritage for Sustainable Development

Section

methodologies and case studies

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Copyright (c) 2025 Alba Balmaseda Domínguez, Yixin Cao

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Balmaseda Domínguez, A., & Cao, Y. (2026). Reviving Urban Swimming in Europe: Navigating Complexity Between Natural and Cultural Heritage. Blue Papers. https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.2.19

Keywords:

urban swimming, natural heritage, cultural heritage, water, cities

Abstract

This article examines the revival of urban swimming in Europe, framing it as a site of negotiation between natural and cultural heritage. A comparative analysis of Paris and Berlin reveals two complementary models of urban swimming: an institutional, infrastructure-led approach in Paris, centered on the highly symbolic Seine River, and a grassroots, nature-based initiative in Berlin’s disused Spree Canal. Paris offers comprehensive implementation, but faces questions of equity and resilience. Berlin’s project emphasizes sustainable design and civic engagement yet remains constrained by historical and economic factors. The study concludes that achieving a balance between nature and culture in urban swimming requires addressing infrastructural, transdisciplinary, social and symbolic dimensions, as well as emphasizing the importance of clear communication, holistic strategies and ongoing research. 

Author Biographies

  • Alba Balmaseda Domínguez, Roma Tre University

    Alba Balmaseda Domínguez is a Spanish architect, researcher, and educator. Her work explores the commons, the relationship between body-space, and spatial practices through design, performance and full-scale construction. She holds a PhD in Architecture (2025) with a dissertation on urban bathing. She established an independent practice in 2014 after graduating from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. She has taught at ETSAM, IUAV, the University of Stuttgart and TH Nürnberg, and has conducted research at Vastu Shilpa Foundation, Tokyo Wonder Site and Istituto Svizzero. She is a co-founder of the Performing Space Association and part of the female collective OFF-SEASON (formerly Bathing Girls).

  • Yixin Cao, Institut Terre & Environnement de Strasbourg

    Yixin Cao holds a PhD in Environmental Science (2023) and since 2025 has been a postdoctoral researcher at University of Strasbourg. With professional experience across Europe and Asia, she studies water as social-ecological systems, focusing on water governance, participatory planning, river restoration, urban bathing, more-than-human justice and human-nature relationships. This study is part of her postdoc project at the University of Lyon (2024), which investigates urban river bathing in Europe, supported by the LabEx IMU (ANR-10-LABX-0088) under France’s Plan 2030 and funded by the French National Research Agency.

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