Access to clean and safe public toilets is a common good. It’s also a critical public health issue and links to how an urban environment also supports walkability for diverse residents.
I filmed this little clip this past weekend at a public toilet at Park Jacek Malczewski in Radom, Poland. The park has a playground and a skate park – many children of different age groups were there. The park also had a salination structure, which, I was told, is extremely popular with local elderly residents (indeed, nearly all benches were occupied by elderly residents enjoying the air as we walked by).
ACCESS FOR ALL
Public toilet access is especially critical for certain groups (children, elderly, or any others with any conditions for which they need frequent or sudden toilet access, pregnant women, and more) but ultimately they are a societal need as we all ‘need to go’.
REGULAR CLEANING IS CRITICAL
The presence of a public toilet isn’t enough. If they are only cleaned every several hours (or less), there is a good chance they will become unhygienic and thus largely unused (or abused) and fall into disrepair. The great examples I’ve seen here in Poland have toilet attendants who are staffed throughout the day on site and appear to be cleaning and supply checking at least once an hour. I met the attendant of this toilet while outside. He was relaxing, having a cup of coffee between his work.
THE TWO-WAY STREET OF USER RESPECT & COMPANY or MUNICIPAL MAINTENANCE OF SPACE
As I mentioned in the video, this is a two-way street. Users being mindful of public toilets is also important, as a sign of respect to other users as well as to the attendants who work to maintain a clean and safe public toilet experience for everyone.
In a dialogue earlier this day with another local parent, he suggested this park for our play meet up that day with our kids, also referencing the public toilets. For both of us, it was even a deciding factor and benefit for choosing that location as a place to spend several hours that day.
~Annika