Public toilets in an intersectional perspective : – The call for change

University essay from KTH/Urbana och regionala studier

Abstract: Growing cities come with complex challenges. As diverse people live and work in the cities, the public spaces within them must accommodate a range of needs and wants. But who is the city built for? By using semi-structured interviews, site visits, observations and an online survey, this thesis aimed to investigate the public toilets of Stockholm, asking what the role of the public toilets are and how this has been shaped, what peoples experiences of and thus approaches towards them are as well as how we could start to change current discourses and practices, both in developing and using them. The study indicated that the role of the public toilet is to make the city accessible for all, especially for more toilet-dependent people and as a means of equity and that it has become more central and public in the city than before. People’s experiences of and attitudes towards public toilets are indicated to be generally negative but there are several ways which one could change current practices, such as inclusive design processes, more information and transparency, retrofitting and adding value to public toilets in public space rather than taking functions away. The question of public toilets in cities are still highly unexplored and this thesis calls for a change on all levels and for all actors involved to work towards a more inclusive city where our most basic needs are accommodated for in a just and equal way.

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