A public toilet is a facility provided by the state to its citizens to ensure adequate access to
clean, safe facilities for public at large and to enhance the quality of urban scapes. It
functions as an important form of urban infrastructure since it contributes value to the city
scapes not only as a utility but also as an amenity. ( That’s why we are choosing public toilet
as a space to put forward our views and opinions although it will be subjective in some
cases)
Public toilets are generally in all public spaces
Public toilet will be a good example to what we want to convey through the article or
whatever
When we visualise a public toilet, do we imagine a universally accessible, fully functional,
well lit, thoroughly sanitised and an undiluted soap dispenser generously filled to the brim?
(Location context)
Its no surprise that this particular sector of public facilities is gravely neglected in terms of
design and infrastructure. A public toilet although inclusive has reduced to an unnecessary
road block . in order to understand the significance of these spaces, we need to employ a
team of active participants who thoroughly understand, research and collect data based on
user feedback.
Methods such as Data collection of what the public wants, Interviews, Surveys, File Reviews
and structured observation should be used to increase public input as they are the real
stakeholders. Focus group discussions can be conducted to collect data through
interactions. Small group methods such as Focus group, where a research technique is used
to collect data through group interaction. The group comprises a small number of carefully
selected people who discuss a given topic. Focus groups are used to identify and explore
how people think and behave.
Following are examples of some popular research techniques:-
Delphi, where a systematic and qualitative method of forecasting by collecting
opinions from a group of experts through several rounds of questions. The Delphi
method relies on experts who are knowledgeable about a certain topic so they can
forecast the outcome of future scenarios, predict the likelihood of an event, or reach
consensus about a particular topic.
Charette, where there is an approach to participatory planning in which a
multidisciplinary team is put together, typically made up of planners, residents, city
officials, architects, landscape architects, transportation engineers, parks and
recreation officials, and other stakeholders, to develop a design and implementation
plan for a particular project.
These methods provide a better understanding of the needs and requirements of the local
people as well as the community as a whole.
Such methods will not only improve the perception of users towards a public toilet, but also
improve the quality of construction and infrastructure.
By approaching these techniques, we can increase peoples’ willingness to use the toilets
since it is regarded as a ‘good facility’ not the ‘only facility’.
When it comes to implementation, let us start by asking ourselves a set of very relevant yet
disregarded questions?
Can we expect a differently abled person to utilise a regular public toilet?
Do we have a specified area for the third gender?
Does a public toilet cater to all age groups?
Do women feel safe within the boundaries of these toilets?
And the most pertinent of all, does hygiene play an important role in maintaining these
spaces?
Are we providing public toilet facilities that are all inclusive?
We need to realise that a decently sanitised, functional restroom addressing to different
sets of people is not unachievable. A very good example for this plausible definition of
public toilet is a local airport.
One would describe these restrooms as well- equipped, fully furnished designed for
comfortable and safe experience. Apart from these basic factors, they have been able to
successfully achieve a comprehensive array for all travellers.
Nevertheless, these facilities are only accessible to a group of people based on their
economic status. The persons who cannot afford to travel by airways are unfortunately
barred from experiencing these basic provisions.
Clearly, we have started to regard the basic functioning and requirements of public toilet as
a luxury rather than a necessity.
The comparison between these two extreme scenarios has created a daunting canyon
between people belonging to a different economic status, abilities, age groups and genders.
If asked to describe a basic toilet, these persons will have extremely contrasting, unfamiliar
and irreconcilable set of answers.
In order to defy these barriers, we must shed light upon the fundamental, mandatory and
most importantly, preferred ideas of a restroom.–
How will it improve our environment?
Public toilets carry great potential in order to establish a progressive outlook towards the
city’s hygiene and perception of maintenance.
Other than this, we tend to overlook the factors that help maintain these facilities “labour”.
Unfortunately, the staff responsible for the cleanliness of toilets are exposed to a futile
discrimation in terms of respect and opportunities. When we start to focus on uplifting the
staff itself, it will be easier to achieve our goals towards a progressive mindset.
Providing a dedicated area for the staff encourages their participation in the process and
increases their earnestness towards work ethic.
This will also help to neutralise the barrier between the user and cleaner.
Providing a performance review will help upgrade the quality of work and implement a
sense of trust in the users towards the facility. Seven airports around the country, including
Los Angeles International Airport, have invested in a new software system called TRAX
SMARTRESTROOM, which aims to keep bathrooms cleaner and helps move the lines to use
stalls more. First, each bathroom with the smartrestroom has a light above the stall
indicating whether it’s in use: a green light means it’s available while red signals occupied.
The software also has a counting sensor at the entrance of the restroom that tracks when
passengers walk in and leave. Each airport can pick how many people enter the restroom
before an email alert is sent to its custodial supervisor indicating that it’s time to clean the
restroom, after 300 people. And, most importantly for passengers, they have the option to
leave feedback on their bathroom visit through a tablet at the exit of the bathroom. They
can choose one of three faces: "exceptional," "average" or "poor." If they pick the sad face
(poor), the tablet displays a series of six potential issues they encountered. This feedback is
instantly emailed to the custodial supervisor who can dispatch an employee to fix the
problem as quickly as possible.
The modern solution to a clean restroom would be a self-cleaning toilet, although easier to
install, it is more important to provide job opportunities that significantly improve the
economic state of low-income groups.
But how can we provide a stable exterior environment for the users? I beg to differ, but a
dingy street or a busy highway are not the most welcoming sites for users.
Perhaps, we can try to extend the boundaries of these facilities beyond the sewage lines and
robust tiling. What if the nearest tree was an extension to the toilet and surrounded the
neighbouring landscape within the boundaries of the toilet. Would this not help us generate
more footfall within the area and hence, avoid a sense of insecurity while using the
washrooms.
When we take this a step further, an inbuilt water treatment plant can lead to a more
sustainable built up and reduce energy consumption as well. The remaining greywater can
be strategically used to irrigate the neighbouring landscape. Case study
Gender para?
To add cultural pathways waala para and then mentioning why? Because it gives a sense of
originality to the space as studied in our critical reaginalisosdfsdndb, and also it shoul not
create territorial effect but at same time it should invite all cultures and etc local materials,
local craftsman, etc
