Governance conditions to overcome the challenges of realizing safe urban bathing water sites

Abstract

This study aims to identify governance conditions to realize urban bathing water sites using case study material from two cities in the Netherlands. Urban waters in Europe are increasingly considered an attractive feature for bathing, but research on the realization of urban bathing water sites has been limited. We find that it is important to account for the connectivity between water systems characteristics and governance conditions to increase effectiveness in the realization of urban bathing water sites. Ambitions regarding urban bathing water sites should be addressed in a wider policy context to create co-benefits, like other ambitions related to water quality, resilience and health. An analytical framework has been developed that could be used to support development and evaluation of future urban bathing water initiatives.