Birmingham's canal network was built during the Industrial Revolution to transport heavy goods and the city remains at the hub of the country's canal network. Canals run for within the city, of which most are still navigable. Birmingham is often lauded as having more miles of canal than Venice, true by a margin of . Birmingham however includes many semi-urban parts and is a far larger city than Venice making for a much lower canal density (concentration). The type of waterway is inland providing the main access to few properties. This contrasts to Venice's broad coastal canals providing the main means of access, surrounded by a lagoon of the Adriatic Sea. By water volume (taking into account depths), Birmingham has more cubic metres of water in its canals than any other city in the world.