[Massplanners] A poo problem

[Dwight Merriam]

We can do a lot better with public restrooms....

See, e.g. https://www.studiopacific.co.nz/projects/2011/kumutoto-toilets/
  and  https://tokyotoilet.jp/en/


Regards,
Dwight Merriam, FAICP
www.dwightmerriam.com

On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 11:27 AM Chris Hayes via MassPlanners <
massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:

> Hi, all,
>
> This is actually related to a question I asked on this listserv a while
> ago!
>
> Because of the expense of adding new restrooms, a public group is
> advocating for opening up certain public garage restrooms (those visible
> from the street), installing cameras and various safety devices, and
> employing a full-time monitor through a workforce program. Apparently, this
> is a hard sell for the City because of the fear that even if a freestanding
> toilet were to be built, it would be unsafe and expensive to keep
> clean/maintain. The question I had was about how common it was to have a
> city host a nonprofit workforce program (we decided to model it on the
> Operation Able program already operating.)
>
> Notably, a few of our churches maintain restrooms and haven't had too many
> problems as of yet, but they're all sorts of various special programs with
> paid monitors or staff dedicated to cleaning multiple times a day.
>
> -Chris
>
> On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 11:13 AM roberta cameron via MassPlanners <
> massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:
>
>> I'm a member of a church located in Harvard Square which used to allow
>> public use of its bathrooms but had to end this practice due to the
>> frequency and severity of public safety incidents occurring on the
>> premises, including drug use, overdoses, and assaults. Due to this
>> situation, the churches surrounding Cambridge Common advocated for the City
>> to install the first public toilet there.
>>
>> I don't believe that any amount of maintenance and insurance could
>> compensate businesses or institutions for the responsibility of opening
>> their bathrooms for use by the homeless population, short of having a
>> full-time social-worker assigned to the site. A free-standing City-owned
>> public toilet is a much safer and sustainable solution.
>>
>> *Roberta Cameron, AICP*
>>
>> *Community Preservation Act Manager*
>>
>> Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development
>>
>> City of Somerville
>>
>> rcameron at somervillema.gov <lmorton at somervillema.gov>
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 8:57 AM Ezra Haber Glenn via MassPlanners <
>> massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:
>>
>>> I've seen (and used) the Portland Loo around Boston and Cambridge, and
>>> it seems to be a great solution. Not sure about the cost, though.
>>>
>>> I've also wondered whether it might be possible to work with local
>>> restaurants and other businesses to encourage them (or incentivize/require
>>> them, though permitting?) to provide accessible bathrooms, in exchange for
>>> a city-run maintenance and insurance program: if they agree to make the
>>> bathrooms open, you'd agree to have an on-call janitor/plumber to
>>> immediately respond to any problem created.
>>>
>>> Just some thoughts — good luck, hope all is well.
>>>
>>> Ezra
>>> --
>>> Ezra Haber Glenn, AICP
>>> Department of Urban Studies and Planning
>>> Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>>> 77 Massachusetts Ave., Room 7-346
>>> Cambridge, MA 02139
>>> eglenn at mit.edu
>>> 617.721.7131 (c)
>>>
>>>  - on the web:
>>>    http://dusp.mit.edu/people/ezra-glenn
>>> <http://dusp.mit.edu/peopl/ezra-glenn>
>>> ------------------------------
>>> *From:* MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> on behalf of
>>> Rob May via MassPlanners <massplanners at masscptc.org>
>>> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 27, 2022 8:38:26 AM
>>> *To:* Listserv (massplanners at masscptc.org) <massplanners at masscptc.org>
>>> *Subject:* [Massplanners] A poo problem
>>>
>>> A number of usual and convenient locations where the unhoused have been
>>> able to use public restrooms have closed or limited their access.
>>>
>>> This has resulted in a marked increase in public defecation.
>>>
>>> Short of housing the unhoused, what are other communities doing to
>>> address this issue?
>>>
>>> We are currently looking at permanently installed, single
>>> occupant toilets by Portland Loo  (https://portlandloo.com/).
>>>
>>> I would like to hear your thoughts on this and other solutions.
>>>
>>> Rob
>>>
>>> Rob May, CEcD
>>> Director of Planning and Economic Development
>>> City of Brockton
>>> 45 School Street
>>> Brockton, MA 02301
>>> 508-580-7113
>>> rmay at cobma.us
>>> He/Him/His
>>>
>>> --
>>> MassPlanners mailing list
>>> MassPlanners at masscptc.org
>>> http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org
>>>
>> --
>> MassPlanners mailing list
>> MassPlanners at masscptc.org
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>>
>
>
> --
> Christopher Glenn Hayes
> Land Use and Transportation Planner
> http://christopherglennhayes.wordpress.com
> chris.g.hayes at gmail.com
> --
> MassPlanners mailing list
> MassPlanners at masscptc.org
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>
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