Public toilets plopped down in parks and other places where the need is greatest tend to be unattractive — and soon enough smelly and even unsafe. So when we heard Denver officials were considering putting at least two public toilets in downtown because of complaints about people urinating in alleys and streets, we at first held our applause.
But then , which are reasonably attractive and designed to minimize problems associated with porta-potties that are kept in place too long. The Portland Loos are harder to deface and designed to discourage the illegal activities, such as drug use, that can be the bane of such facilities.
There isn’t even a sink, as CityLab noted in a report in 2012, “just a spigot on the outside that pours cold water.”
That article, by the way, was headlined, “Why Portland’s Public Toilets Succeeded Where Others Failed.”
Downtown residents are understandably frustrated with the level of public urination; if there’s a way to help solve the problem without creating others, Denver should by all means look into it.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit or check out our for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
