Martine KAYSER, German Toilet Organization e. V. , Germany
Since access to safe, clean, and affordable water and sanitation are globally acknowledged as essential for public health, public toilets must also be seen as a crucial part of urban infrastructure in order to establish more accessible, sustainable, and inclusive cities (Greed 2003).
Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown periods during which restaurants, libraries, and municipal buildings remained closed, awareness of the need for hygienic and accessible toilets, has become more prevalent than ever.
Access to toilets expands people’s radius of action, enables participation in everyday life, and has an impact on the quality of stay in public. However, public toilets are often a neglected topic in politics, within governments, and in city planning offices.
In this lecture, I will argue that the accessibility of sanitation facilities is not only a public health issue but also a matter of wellbeing in everyday life.
Probably everybody has experienced situations in which the need for toilet facilities* has affected their wellbeing during everyday activities, while being out and about in urban environments. For example, one might feel stressed while meeting up with friends for a barbecue in the park, knowing that there are no decent public toilets or even a few bushes to hide behind.
Some individuals even have to plan their everyday activities quite meticulously with respect to public toilet access. For example, a wheelchair user needs to check the availability of barrier free facilities in advance of their everyday trips.
Based on personal experiences that are discussed in my (auto-)ethnographical research in various German cities the central aim of the lecture is to show how the provision and maintenance of public toilets impacts people’s wellbeing and how it even shapes and/or influences their everyday activities in public places.
*to pee, defecate, wash one’s hands, change diapers, manage menstrual hygiene, take medication, etc.
Mots clés : Public Toilets|Urban Infrastructure|Public Places|Health & Wellbeing |Right to the City
A105376MK