The availability of public washrooms depends on the time of year, with 128 seasonal and 54 public year-round park washrooms run by the city, according to the city’s website.聽
Think 海角社区官网can do better with public washrooms? One advocacy group will pay you $1,500 for your design ideas
The 海角社区官网Public Space Committee聽recently launched a global design competition called “TO the Loo!,” geared at finding new ways to “incorporate public washrooms into the public realm.”
The availability of public washrooms depends on the time of year, with 128 seasonal and 54 public year-round park washrooms run by the city, according to the city’s website.聽
You know the feeling: you’re far from home, you’re bursting, but there are no washrooms in sight.
With just 182 public washrooms throughout the city, 海角社区官网has a 鈥渟evere鈥 shortage, the 海角社区官网Public Space Committee .聽To remedy the problem, the committee recently launched a global design competition called “TO the Loo!” geared at 鈥(imagining) the future of public washrooms鈥 and finding new ways to “incorporate public washrooms into the public realm.”
The lack of washrooms disproportionately affects gig workers, homeless people, families and people with disabilities, the site says.
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“If the public realm doesn’t support our basic biological needs, it limits our ability to participate, and it can especially limit the use of space for children, seniors, people with health conditions and gender diverse individuals,”聽wrote Car Martin,聽architect and one of the organizers of the competition,聽in an email.聽
The availability of public washrooms depends on the time of year, with run by the city, according to the city’s website.聽
The competition tasks entrants with designing a network of public washrooms in Toronto’s South Parkdale neighbourhood that include a single-user toilet that can be installed at multiple sites, as well as a multi-user hub at Dufferin King Parkette.聽
“I would love to see gorgeous washrooms across the city that make new landmarks and showcase local creative talent in their design,” continued Martin.聽
Submissions will be open from April 15 to May 27, with results to be announced July 10.
It costs $25 to enter. The competition will award $1,500 for the first prize entry; $500 for the second prize; and $500 for the third prize.
Entries will be judged on criteria including functionality, aesthetics, weatherproofing, accessibility, safety and more.
鈥淲e invite designers, architects, urban planners, and creative thinkers from around the world to reimagine the future of public washrooms in Toronto,鈥 the site says.
Marisa Coulton is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter
for the Star. Reach her via email: mcoulton@thestar.ca
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