When Nature Calls in the City

Having debated ingestion of foie gras and trans fats, Philadelphia’s City Council now turns its attention to what’s coming out of Philadelphians' bodies. At a recent hearing of the Committee of Licenses and Inspections, Manayunk residents beseeched Council for a remedy to the scourge of public urination, an unfortunate side effect of the neighborhood’s popularity as an entertainment district. Under debate was a bill that would quintuple the fine for public urination, raising the penalty from $300 to $1,500 with a further increase to $2,000 in 2009. But irrespective of the likelihood of enforcement, common sense says that due to the nature of this problem, deterrence alone is insufficient.

Throughout the city, residents of neighborhoods adjacent to nighttime hotspots have long regarded bartime puddles suspiciously. The Philadelphia Daily News dedicated a "Stinkmeister" beat to the olfactory and related deleterious impacts of public urination. Increased fines may deter some misdeeds, but the truth of the matter is sometimes you really need to go, whether a restroom is available or not. Thus, in addition to discouragement through fines, the City can pursue strategies to encourage people to use facilities more appropriate than the side of a rowhouse.

As a precursor to the City’s planned installation of new street furniture, a pilot public pay toilet has taken up residence of the apron of City Hall. Should the street furniture contract move forward, similar facilities could spring up in key locations throughout the city (to read more about the city’s proposed street furniture project, click here). Field research by dedicated Economy League staff and friends reveals that although occasionally out of order, the City Hall pay toilet is sanitary, spacious, and soothing, thanks to its self-cleaning function and piped-in music. The rather large size of this facility may not lend itself to the frequently peed upon side streets of Philadelphia’s older neighborhoods, but other structures may fit the bill.

the Uralift

For example, the pissoirs of Paris are a classic solution to providing a place to go while taking up less sidewalk space. But technological innovations have made even further advancements in outdoor urination possible. Cities in Europe and Canada have begun installation of retractable urinals and toilets – useable during peak public urination hours (viz., when the bars close) and invisible the rest of the day. Hydraulic lifts raise the structure above ground when needed and disappear below ground when not in use. This design may be a good solution in areas like Old City, where preserving the visual continuity of the urban fabric in historic areas must be balanced with burgeoning bladders of evening revelers.

And finally, the Australian government’s strategy is to help people locate proper facilities. Through its National Continence Management Strategy, it provides citizens with information on where to go when you are on the go. The National Public Toilet Map is an interactive tool that allows users to locate public restrooms by address, proximity to points of interest, and opening hours. A trip planner function helps users plot road trips with appropriate rest stops, and instructions are provided so that toilets can be located with personal GPS devices.

Philadelphia has a history of being in the vanguard when it comes to public sanitation. It was the first to supply safe drinking water citywide. It was the first to pass a mandatory urban recycling law. To be a world class city Philadelphia must address the cleanliness of our city. Deterrence and accommodations to meet resident and visitor needs can be employed to reduce this public nuisance and make Philadelphia a more “user-friendly” city.

-- Marisa Waxman, AICP, Senior Associate