People avoid strolling in downtown areas that lack public facilities.
Businesses have drifted out of downtown to malls in outlying areas. One of the appeals of enclosed malls is a dependable restroom. Asking permission to use a restroom at a food establishment where one is not a customer is no longer acceptable.
Just as graffiti causes a negative spiral in urban areas, so does the smell of urine. Both keep people away. Yet the best policing won’t stop public urination when facilities are unavailable. Cities with well thought-out placement of public restrooms and portable toilets have few ‘civility law’ violations.
Inevitable but not acceptable.
In urban areas where public facilities are few and far between, public urination may be inevitable. It is not, however, acceptable. Unless people speak out, however, it’s impossible to rally others, to advocate for for toilets or to let perpetrators know that their behavior is unacceptable.
How do you get the conversation started? In Victoria, British Columbia, a city proud of its livability and attractiveness to visitors, launched a public anti-urination campaign and announced a $200 fine. An attractive series of posters is directly aimed at perpetrators.
A business in the neighborhood where PHLUSH works has posted a polite sign in a vulnerable doorway.
Downtown revitalization through public restroom? In large part, yes!
First, restrooms enable people to leave their cars at home and commute on foot and on mass transit. Second, restrooms significantly cut down on the public urination and defecation and make our downtown streets much more inviting. Third, by encouraging a pedestrian environment, they move people toward health and fitness.
