<div>                I was just in Shibuya at the end of August and I was in awe of the public bathrooms.  Night and day from the US and I'm not just talking about the design, which was incredible (as you can see from the photos).  The cleanliness was like your own hotel room.  And in a lot of the public bathrooms there were workers who would go in and clean up after you used it.  This was not just in Shibuya either but in all of Japan where I traveled, from the remote areas to the the cities.  Honestly, I think it's just a different mindset - Japan is a very clean place.<br><br>There were a lot of other differences in the public restrooms as well which would I believe would be unthinkable in the US.<br><br>Patrice L. Carson, AICP<br>Consultant Planner<br>            </div>            <div class="yahoo_quoted" style="margin:10px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid #ccc;padding-left:1ex;">                        <div style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;color:#26282a;">                                <div>                    On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 11:35:56 AM EDT, Dwight Merriam via MassPlanners <massplanners@masscptc.org> wrote:                </div>                <div><br></div>                <div><br></div>                <div><div id="yiv0105559174"><div><div dir="ltr">We can do a lot better with public restrooms....<div><br clear="none"></div><div>See, e.g. <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://www.studiopacific.co.nz/projects/2011/kumutoto-toilets/">https://www.studiopacific.co.nz/projects/2011/kumutoto-toilets/</a>    and  <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://tokyotoilet.jp/en/">https://tokyotoilet.jp/en/</a></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Regards,</div><div>Dwight Merriam, FAICP</div><div><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.dwightmerriam.com">www.dwightmerriam.com</a></div></div><br clear="none"><div class="yiv0105559174gmail_quote"><div id="yiv0105559174yqtfd48509" class="yiv0105559174yqt6314867319"><div dir="ltr" class="yiv0105559174gmail_attr">On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 11:27 AM Chris Hayes via MassPlanners <<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>> wrote:<br clear="none"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="yiv0105559174gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div>Hi, all,</div><div><br clear="none"></div>This is actually related to a question I asked on this listserv a while ago!<div><br clear="none"></div><div>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.)</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>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.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>-Chris</div></div><br clear="none"><div class="yiv0105559174gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="yiv0105559174gmail_attr">On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 11:13 AM roberta cameron via MassPlanners <<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>> wrote:<br clear="none"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="yiv0105559174gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">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. <div><br clear="none"></div><div>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.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:15px;"><b><span style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:14pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel, sans-serif;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">Roberta Cameron, AICP</span></b></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:15px;"><i><span style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel, sans-serif;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">Community Preservation Act Manager</span></i></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:15px;"><span style="border:0px;font:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"></span></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:15px;"><span style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:10pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel, sans-serif;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development</span><span style="border:0px;font:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"></span></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:15px;"><span style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:10pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel, sans-serif;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">City of Somerville</span><span style="border:0px;font:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"></span></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:15px;"><span style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;font-family:Cambria, serif;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lmorton@somervillema.gov" target="_blank" href="mailto:lmorton@somervillema.gov" style="border:0px;font:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:blue;"><span style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel, sans-serif;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit;">rcameron@somervillema.gov</span></a></span><span style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel, sans-serif;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"> </span></p></div></div><br clear="none"><div class="yiv0105559174gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="yiv0105559174gmail_attr">On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 8:57 AM Ezra Haber Glenn via MassPlanners <<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>> wrote:<br clear="none"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="yiv0105559174gmail_quote"><div><div>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.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>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.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Just some thoughts — good luck, hope all is well.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div id="yiv0105559174m_-6156685780167490264m_-1807370307929430061m_3868642096165845388ms-outlook-mobile-signature"><div>Ezra</div><div>-- </div><div>Ezra Haber Glenn, AICP</div><div>Department of Urban Studies and Planning</div><div>Massachusetts Institute of Technology</div><div>77 Massachusetts Ave., Room 7-346</div><div>Cambridge, MA 02139</div><div><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:eglenn@mit.edu" target="_blank" href="mailto:eglenn@mit.edu">eglenn@mit.edu</a></div><div>617.721.7131 (c)</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div> - on the web: </div>   <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://dusp.mit.edu/peopl/ezra-glenn">http://dusp.mit.edu/people/ezra-glenn</a></div><hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%;"><div dir="ltr" id="yiv0105559174m_-6156685780167490264m_-1807370307929430061m_3868642096165845388divRplyFwdMsg"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt;" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org">massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org</a>> on behalf of Rob May via MassPlanners <<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>><br clear="none"><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 27, 2022 8:38:26 AM<br clear="none"><b>To:</b> Listserv (<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>) <<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>><br clear="none"><b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] A poo problem</font><div> </div></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:small;">A number of usual and convenient locations where the unhoused have been able to use public restrooms have closed or limited their access.  </div><div style="font-size:small;"><br clear="none"></div><div style="font-size:small;">This has resulted in a marked increase in public defecation. </div><div style="font-size:small;"><br clear="none"></div><div style="font-size:small;">Short of housing the unhoused, what are other communities doing to address this issue?  </div><div style="font-size:small;"><br clear="none"></div><div style="font-size:small;">We are currently looking at permanently installed, single occupant toilets by Portland Loo  (<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://portlandloo.com/">https://portlandloo.com/</a>).  </div><div style="font-size:small;"><br clear="none"></div><div style="font-size:small;">I would like to hear your thoughts on this and other solutions.  </div><div style="font-size:small;"><br clear="none"></div><div style="font-size:small;">Rob </div><div style="font-size:small;"><br clear="none"></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Rob May, CEcD<br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="2">Director of Planning and Economic Development</font></div><div><font size="2">City of Brockton</font></div><div><font size="2">45 School Street</font></div><div><font size="2">Brockton, MA 02301</font></div><div><font size="2">508-580-7113</font></div><div><font size="2"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:rmay@cobma.us" target="_blank" href="mailto:rmay@cobma.us">rmay@cobma.us</a></font></div><div>He/Him/His<br clear="none"></div><div><img width="200" height="67"><br clear="none"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>-- <br clear="none">MassPlanners mailing list<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org">MassPlanners@masscptc.org</a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org">http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org</a><br clear="none"></blockquote></div>-- <br clear="none">MassPlanners mailing list<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org">MassPlanners@masscptc.org</a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org">http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org</a><br clear="none"></blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br clear="none"></div>-- <br clear="none"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small;">Christopher Glenn Hayes</div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small;">Land Use and Transportation Planner</div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small;"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://christopherglennhayes.wordpress.com/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);">http://christopherglennhayes.wordpress.com</a></div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small;"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:chris.g.hayes@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:chris.g.hayes@gmail.com" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);">chris.g.hayes@gmail.com</a></div></div></div></div></div>-- <br clear="none">MassPlanners mailing list<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org">MassPlanners@masscptc.org</a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank" 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