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Separated by almost 10,000 kilometers, Santos and Amsterdam draw attention for canals that marked the landscape, organized urban expansion, and became part of the local identity. The comparison gained strength due to the presence of water in the design of the two cities, although the systems have different origins and functions.
Separated by almost 10,000 kilometers, Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, and Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, are often compared for a common urban feature: the canals that cross the landscape and help explain part of the formation of the two cities.
Despite the visual similarity, the systems emerged in different periods, scales, and contexts. In Amsterdam, the canals were associated with urban and economic expansion; in Santos, the implementation was directly related to drainage and sanitation works.
According to historian Sergio Willians, president of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Santos, the two sets “have different origins and scales,” but have become part of the history, landscape, and the way the population relates to each city.
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The comparison, therefore, brings Santos and Amsterdam closer by the presence of the canals as an urban reference. At the same time, it shows relevant differences in planning, depth, navigation, territorial dimension, and public function throughout history.
Canals of Santos and Amsterdam had different origins
In Amsterdam, the so-called Grachtengordel, or canal belt, was developed as part of a port city expansion project between the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
With a layout in concentric arcs, the system helped organize the occupation of the territory, favored the drainage of swampy areas, and reinforced the relationship between commerce, urban circulation, and water control.
In the capital of the Netherlands, the canals also had a strategic function. Besides integrating urban planning, they contributed to defense, transportation, and the circulation of goods in a city linked to port activity.
In Santos, the origin of the system was different. The canals began to be implemented at the beginning of the 20th century, as part of the sanitation project by Francisco Saturnino Rodrigues de Brito, known as Saturnino de Brito.
Recognized as one of the leading names in sanitary engineering in Brazil, Saturnino de Brito proposed an intervention focused on drainage, water circulation, and the reorganization of urban areas prone to flooding.
The proposal aimed to address recurring problems in the city, especially the accumulation of water in low-lying areas. This scenario contributed to floods and worsened sanitary conditions in a growing municipality.
The macro-drainage plan aimed to channel water through canals, reduce waterlogged areas, and allow the occupation of regions that previously depended on structural works to accommodate housing, streets, and urban facilities.
Amsterdam’s Canal System is Larger in Scale
The difference in scale between the systems is one of the central points of comparison. Amsterdam has more than 100 kilometers of canals, crossed by about 1,500 bridges, in an urban network recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2010.
The canal belt forms a semicircular composition around the old city core. This configuration integrates water, streets, bridges, and historic buildings in an urban design planned over different stages of expansion.
Due to this structure, Amsterdam’s canals serve functions of infrastructure, local circulation, historical preservation, and tourist attraction. The network also integrates the city’s international image, especially in records related to the historic center.
Santos presents a more linear configuration. The city is mainly known for the numbered canals, which cross neighborhoods towards the shore and serve as location references for residents, merchants, and visitors.
In the daily life of Santos, the numbering of the canals helps identify addresses, routes, and reference points. This constant presence makes the system used as an orientation element within the urban network.
The comparison requires a technical note. Although popular use highlights the numbered canals, Saturnino de Brito’s project included nine surface canals, in addition to underground structures, and the drainage system received later expansions.
Thus, the reference to the seven most well-known canals describes part of the urban perception of the population, but does not summarize the entire technical drainage system implemented and developed in Santos over time.
Depth and navigation differentiate the systems
In Amsterdam’s canals, the average depth is around 2.5 to 3 meters in many sections, with variations depending on the area, sedimentation, and maintenance work carried out periodically.
This depth allows the circulation of light vessels, especially boats used for local travel and tourist trips. However, urban navigation was not designed for large ships or large-scale port operations.
In the capital of the Netherlands, the canals are used for activities related to tourism, small-scale mobility, and the maintenance of the historical landscape. The current use combines urban functions with the preservation of traditional areas.
In Santos, the urban canals have a different purpose. They were not designed for tourist navigation or boat transport, but for drainage and sanitation, with a function aimed at the drainage of rainwater.
The depth of the Santos canals is less and can vary depending on the section, silting, and maintenance. This characteristic is related to the original function of the system, planned for a coastal, flat city subject to water accumulation.
Large-scale navigation in Santos occurs in another structure: the access channel to the Port of Santos. This channel is part of the port operation and should not be confused with the urban drainage canals.
Managed in the context of the port, the access channel is about 24.6 kilometers long, with an approximate depth of 15 meters and an average width of 220 meters, according to operational information from the Santos Port Authority.
To accommodate large ships, the structure relies on dredging and continuous maintenance. These services are necessary to ensure safety conditions for the entry and exit of vessels using the country’s main port.
Works influenced urban expansion
Even with differences in origin and scale, the canals played a significant role in the urban expansion of both cities. In Amsterdam, the network allowed for the organization of marshy areas and structured a growth model associated with trade and water control.
In the case of Santos, the system contributed to the occupation of areas that depended on drainage and sanitation works. The reduction of flooding helped reorganize the territory and favored the urbanization of regions near the coastline.
With the progress of the works, the canals became part of the city’s routine. They appear in addresses, routes, commercial references, and residents’ memories, as well as serving as location landmarks in different neighborhoods of Santos.
This everyday presence explains why the canals ceased to be perceived merely as drainage infrastructure. In Santos, they also contribute to the urban reading of the city, especially in the relationship between neighborhoods, the coastline, and daily commutes.
In Amsterdam, the system gained international recognition for its historical and urban importance. The canal belt became a world heritage site and was included in tourist itineraries, urban planning studies, and cultural records about the city.
In Santos, the relevance of the canals is mainly linked to sanitation, drainage, and the organization of urban space. The structure helps tell part of the sanitary history of the municipality and the transformation of areas once prone to flooding.
The expression “Brazilian Amsterdam” can be used in a symbolic sense to highlight the presence of canals in the landscape of Santos. The comparison, however, requires considering differences in scale, origin, function, and use between the two systems.
In common, Santos and Amsterdam have water as a structuring element of urban life. In different contexts, the canals helped organize territories, guide movements, and mark the visual identity of two cities linked to port activity.
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