CDU advocates for a river swimming spot in Hamburg
In a bid to make Hamburg's waters more accessible for public recreation, Anke Frieling, urban development spokeswoman for the CDU faction, has called for creative solutions to enable bathing, swimming, and enjoying the city's rivers. However, the Senate has expressed concerns about the high shipping traffic and the Elbe and Alster rivers' water quality and safety.
Challenges and Potential Solutions
Frieling warns that Hamburg is wasting its potential by not addressing the issues related to river baths. The Senate's response states that the conditions should be assessed differently in Hamburg due to the high shipping traffic, partly on a federal waterway and in harbor areas.
To overcome these challenges, Frieling and the CDU party are advocating for the creation of a river swimming pool — a dedicated enclosed or semi-enclosed bathing area within the river — that would allow safe recreational use of the water despite the challenges. This idea involves using modern filtration technologies and safety measures to create an accessible swimming environment while mitigating the natural hazards posed by tides and shipping traffic.
Inspiration from European Cities
Yes, there are successful examples from other cities that have implemented creative solutions for river bathing despite challenges in water quality and safety. Cities like Copenhagen, Oslo, and Malmö have all established public swimming spots in urban rivers or harbor areas with initially challenging water conditions. These cities overcame issues related to water quality and safety by investing in filtration systems, safety concepts, and architectural solutions specifically designed to ensure safe, clean, and accessible swimming environments.
These cities' strategies generally include controlled swimming pools or designated bathing zones within the river or harbor that incorporate natural or mechanical filtration, water circulation management, and often physical barriers that protect swimmers from traffic and waterway use.
Current Status in Hamburg
As of now, no corresponding examples of public bathing spots in the Elbe or Alster have been established in Hamburg. The suitability of the waters for bathing sports is currently being tested within a parliamentary request titled "Urban development by the water - new perspectives for Hamburg's waterways."
Frieling questions the inability to have swimming opportunities in a harbor basin in the Hafencity, where harbor purposes are less common. She criticizes the Senate for ignoring the fact that challenges related to financing, safety, hygiene, and water quality have been successfully addressed in other cities.
The Senate's response refers to Scandinavian cities like Copenhagen, Oslo, and Malmo as examples of cities where public bathing spots are already a reality. However, the Senate has not provided a timeline for when the water quality and safety concerns might be addressed to allow for a river bath in Hamburg.
In summary, other European cities have successfully created safe river swimming facilities by combining innovative water treatment and protective infrastructure, and Hamburg is considering analogous solutions such as a dedicated river pool to enable safe public bathing despite existing water quality and safety concerns. The CDU in the Hamburg Parliament continues to advocate for a river bath in the Alster or Elbe.
- The CDU in the Hamburg Parliament, led by Anke Frieling, is advocating for a river swimming pool, inspired by successful examples in European cities like Copenhagen, Oslo, and Malmö, to promote outdoor-living and lifestyle, by creating a safe and accessible swimming environment in the city's rivers, despite its challenges with water quality and safety.
- To address Hamburg's lack of public bathing spots in the Elbe or Alster, and its current focus on testing water suitability, the CDU is urging the Senate to adopt innovative water treatment and protective infrastructure, such as a dedicated river pool, as part of their home-and-garden and urban development strategies, following the lead of cities like Copenhagen, Oslo, and Malmö.
