Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 1:00 PM
Subjects
Urban planning and environment
Other
University Honors
Advisor
Shirley Jackson
Student Level
Undergraduate
Abstract
Various factors, including gender, housing status, socioeconomic status, and disability, impact access to public restrooms in Portland, Oregon. A pilot program involving the implementation of public restrooms has caused a significant reduction in public defecation in San Francisco. This research demonstrates the efficacy of this existing working model, which could be similarly implemented in Portland with some adjustments. Portland has the Portland Loos, which are single-stall, outdoor public restrooms. Still, many are not open 24 hours. An analysis of publicly available Google reviews indicates consistent poor cleanliness and Portland Loos being locked at times when they are advertised to be open, especially in downtown locations. While Portland has many public restrooms, like Portland Loos, the fact that some are ill-maintained or closed when they shouldn’t be indicates that they are not making enough positive change. In addition, many restrooms in facilities like restaurants require purchasing products when they previously did not or no longer allow restroom access, even with a purchase. The next step in this research is to implement survey distribution and analysis surrounding the intersectionality of public restroom access, uncovering potential inequities and assessing the specific requirements needed to augment the existing model successfully to fit the city.
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41883
Included in
Why People Pee in Public: Is a Lack of Public Restrooms Keeping Portland Too Weird?
Various factors, including gender, housing status, socioeconomic status, and disability, impact access to public restrooms in Portland, Oregon. A pilot program involving the implementation of public restrooms has caused a significant reduction in public defecation in San Francisco. This research demonstrates the efficacy of this existing working model, which could be similarly implemented in Portland with some adjustments. Portland has the Portland Loos, which are single-stall, outdoor public restrooms. Still, many are not open 24 hours. An analysis of publicly available Google reviews indicates consistent poor cleanliness and Portland Loos being locked at times when they are advertised to be open, especially in downtown locations. While Portland has many public restrooms, like Portland Loos, the fact that some are ill-maintained or closed when they shouldn’t be indicates that they are not making enough positive change. In addition, many restrooms in facilities like restaurants require purchasing products when they previously did not or no longer allow restroom access, even with a purchase. The next step in this research is to implement survey distribution and analysis surrounding the intersectionality of public restroom access, uncovering potential inequities and assessing the specific requirements needed to augment the existing model successfully to fit the city.