Where Have All the Public Pools Gone?

An ugly history has left America with few community swimming pools, just as rising temperatures make them more valuable than ever for health, safety, and societal well-being.

Photo by the author

This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: Extreme Heat and Human Health.

More than just summertime fun, public pools are good for people. They can help improve physical fitness, mental health and societal connectedness. Community pools are where many American kids used to learn how to swim. So where have all the public pools gone? Why have they virtually disappeared from urban areas?

The decline in public pool access across the United States—unfortunately occurring as the need only increases with a warming climate—is rooted in a long and ugly history of racism. Many cities stopped investing decades ago, as desegregation forced changes in who could jump in.

I’m fortunate to have access to a local pool. And as I gripe about the limited hours and the fees I pay, I remind myself that the pool is keeping my weight and blood pressure down and my moods up. But as a nurse, I wonder how many people would benefit from greater access to pools to improve their own health, not to mention learning to swim in order to…