An all-gender restroom in San Francisco illustrates a variety of people who may need to use it. Image by Ted Eytan licensed under Creative Commons.

DC is inching towards increasing its number of public restrooms with the passage of a 2018 law that would add two new facilities and incentivize business owners to open their bathrooms to the public. However, many public restroom designs aren’t accessible to many of their potential users.

As part of my planning degree at the University of Maryland, I research public restrooms. A repeated theme of my findings is that having a restroom is only part of any solution—the facility also needs to be usable to as many people as possible. There are some simple strategies that can help, namely consultation, checklists, and staffing.

What happens behind those bathroom doors?

Everyone eventually has to “go.” But our different experiences mediate how we do so. Gender, race, class, culture, ability, and age all affect how we use the restroom.

Stalls and toilets are not designed for some people’s clothes, some people’s bodies, or the fact that toilet paper is not enough for some people’s religious practices. Not enough toilets are available for women. Many people of color do not feel safe using a business’ toilet – especially given that police have arrested black folks for doing so.

And, of course, restroom use goes beyond Number One and Number Two. We use facilities to take care of our menstrual needs, change children’s diapers, wash ourselves before prayer, and wash our hands.

Badly designed restrooms can affect someone’s ability to do any of these things—as I am reminded in every bathroom with bright, “safe” lights that trigger my sensory disabilities. A usable restroom enables all these activities.

Lessons from Portland and Seoul

Programs in Portland and Seoul offer lessons about who gets left out when designers do not consider usability. Many Portlanders are very proud of their modular “Portland Loo,” a bare-bones prefabricated unit with a water spigot mounted outside. However, this “defense-first design” is inadequate for many peoples’ needs.

The lack of running water inside makes it less useful for people taking care of their menstrual cycles, or for washing hands after a messy diaper change. The explicit intention for the design to ward off people experiencing homelessness is dehumanizing, particularly since they’re among those who most need access to safe toilets.

The grills at the top and the bottom that ventilate, let in light, and serve as a means to monitor the toilet also make the Portland Loo impossible to use for the millions of people with shy bladder syndrome and others who are sensitive to privacy.

Seoul offers an alternative example. In 2004, the Korean government passed a law mandating provision of restrooms in most urban areas. Seoul is now awash with public restrooms – often in stations in its extensive subway system. These restrooms do take into account many user needs, especially those of older people.

However, a recent brouhaha erupted over the removal of trash cans in Seoul’s toilets. Policymakers meant to curb floor litter, but there’s no longer a place to dispose of menstrual products. Also, though laws theoretically mandate equitable restroom access, the ratio of women’s rooms to men’s rooms is still inadequate.

So how can we avoid repeating these issues in the District? The effects of DC’s public restroom program, and who benefits, will depend on how well the initiative addresses usability. The subject has even spawned several books, but the lessons boil down to consultation, checklists, and staffing.

Before you build it, consult a lot of different people

Some public bathroom designs are difficult to use for someone wearing a dress or changing a tampon. Other times, facilities can be impossible for a person transferring from a wheelchair or shepherding a child.

To avoid building restrooms that aren’t usable for all, designers should consult community members, especially people who have trouble with current restrooms. Service providers, architects, and planners often ignore this step, and as a result, toilets are often difficult or impossible to use. Designers could use surveys, user studies, or even research on already successful programs. An assessment helps providers identify what they need to make sure that the public can use their restroom.

Advocates used a similar process to push for changing tables in men’s rooms on university campuses. The fact that advocates in DC specifically consult people experiencing homelessness is a huge step in this regard, and this engagement should continue and expand.

A standard list of things a restroom needs to have provides a metric to measure the usability of facilities, and to address the needs of target audiences. A list also ensures that the needs of women, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, people of color, and children—which are often ignored—are addressed in what is built. Disability advocates, universities, and local governments have already developed such checklists.

Monitored bathrooms tend to be safer and cleaner

Many people say they feel safer using a restroom that’s monitored by someone, as Clara Greed notes in her book Inclusive Urban Design: Public Toilets. In Denver and San Francisco, for example, staffers provide key social service links for people experiencing homelessness. Staffed restrooms in both cities experienced high rates of usage and are also cleaner.

For larger facilities, this might mean hiring dedicated, well-paid staff to care for the facilities. For distributed small facilities, staff that goes between restrooms will come into play. Users should know how to contact the staff if needed, perhaps through posters on the door or a button. Studies show that, when posters and notices are present, people leave the bathroom in a better state than they would have otherwise.

A world with usable, available restrooms is one flush with possibility for many more people. To bring that about, we must prioritize usability and accessibility along with funding, construction, availability, and location as we plan public restrooms in DC.