Increasing Public Swimming Participation

The soft embrace of cool water on a hot day. The rhythmic splashing as you swim. The buoyant relief for stiff joints and tired feet. Pools offer a unique and often underappreciated way to move your body, and thanks to the availability of public pools, the magic of swimming isn’t just reserved for those lucky enough to have one in their backyard. As an affordable and accessible form of exercise, public swimming should attract community members from all walks of life, but in practice, pools remain incredibly underused as spaces for fitness, fun, and socialization.

The case for public pools is well established for those working in public health, community recreation, or aquatic programming. These spaces offer low-impact fitness, foster social connection, and save lives by encouraging the development of essential water safety skills. But despite investments in infrastructure and marketing, participation in public swimming remains largely uneven across age groups, cultural backgrounds, and income levels—and is even declining altogether in some regions.^1,2 

This isn’t just an issue with cost, access, or ability. Even when pools are open and affordable, many people don’t go. Some feel out of place in pool spaces, some feel uncertain about public pool norms, and some simply forget that swimming is an option at all. When lack of participation is rooted in these behavioral barriers, improving access to public pools alone is not enough to encourage swimming. Rather than relying on a “build it and they will come” approach, behavioral science offers several promising strategies that can help people make use of the swimming spaces that exist in their communities. In this article, we’ll explore several of these opportunities, like reshaping social norms around swimming, reducing ambiguity for new users, and using simple nudges to make swimming feel like a relevant and enjoyable part of everyday life.