An experiment in round-the-clock public bathroom access has proven successful, and San Francisco is expanding the program.
"San Francisco officials are extending a pilot program examining the impact of keeping three public bathrooms open around the clock in neighborhoods where requests for feces removal really tend to pile up," reports Dominic Fracassa.
"The extension is expected to build on the success of an experiment that began in August, when the city decided to keep three Pit Stops — public stalls with on-site staffers — open seven days a week, 24 hours a day," adds Fracassa.
According to Fracassa's explanation of the program's genesis, the pilot program was designed to test two questions: whether bathrooms would be used in the wee small hours of the evening, and whether the bathrooms would be safe for staffers on duty at the Pit Stops. The results, according to Fracassa, were promising, and enough to warrant additional Pit Stops and round-the-clock access.
Read the full story: SF’s 24-hour public bathrooms show promise in keeping feces off streets
Hotels Could Play a Critical Role in Containing Coronavirus in Crowded Cities
Some cities are leasing entire hotels to provide rooms for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to infected people, to allow for safe and supportive isolation away from family or household members who risk being infected.
Late Action, Local Opposition Frustrate Emergency Homeless Shelter Plans
Some progress, but not nearly enough, has been reported as California and its cities scramble to procure temporary shelters to house homeless people during the pandemic.
Hepatitis A Outbreak in Philadelphia Leaves City Scrambling
Philadelphia isn't the first city to deal with a Hepatitis A outbreak after wavering on the question of whether to deploy public bathrooms and hygiene stations
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority