Arcades and Public Loos

I want to talk about arcades and public loos. 

Arcades

That would be arcades as in covered sidewalks, not emporia for playing video games or pinball. Bologna and Torino boast extensive networks of arcaded sidewalks. Bologna has 38 kilometres of arcaded streets and Torino has 18 kilometres, 12.5 of which are interconnected. There are many  advantages to arcades

• Shade from the hot sun and shelter from the rain
• Reduction of sidewalk snow and ice in the winter
• Relief from  minus 25c temperatures or a  plus 40c humidex. Arcades provide some heat trap benefits in winter and shade reduces temperatures by up to 10c in summer.
• Possible increased density in the public domain.  In the pictures, see how space is built out over the sidewalks
• A source of revenue for municipalities from:
  • sale or rental of the airspace over sidewalks
  • increased real estate taxes from the area built above the arcades
• Enhancement of street life 

Arcades are beautiful

Imagine beautiful arcaded buildings all along Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal. Or adorning Robson Street in Vancouver, or Yorkville in Toronto. It is a little late for those areas unless whole blocks are redeveloped. However, many cities could improve many stretches of street. Require arcades in exchange for density above them. Encourage more people to walk, shop, and dining for a longer periods.

Loos

Loos, not Lous. You know – washrooms, toilets, restrooms, johns, whatever. We all use them – sometimes urgently. We need clean, sweet-smelling, safe public washrooms. But too often, municipalities forget the loo’s importance and treat them as luxuries. We are all subjects of the urinary leash —a sociological euphemism for the distance one can venture from their home before returning because they have to use the toilet.

Getting it right

Japan is famous for toilets. The Tokyo Toilet Project oversaw the redesign and rebuild of public washrooms at 17 different locations and now ensures cleaning and maintenance.   I like the public washrooms in Europe with a full time attendant. Not too glamorous a job for those who clean and supervise but such important work! I am happy to pay the relief fee and to tip the attendant for a clean, sweet smelling washroom. 

Once upon a time

In the 1960s Montréal’s Philips Square had underground public loos. Plus, there were little buildings like the one above in many of Montréal’s parks. Now, You can buy sandwiches and coffee at the re-purposed washroom on Dorchester Square.  Does that make sense? You can buy coffee, a diuretic, but there is nowhere to pee.

The Hull mens’ washroom was  built in either Victorian or Edwardian Britain  provides a startling example of the importance given to public washrooms in the past. We don’t need anything as elaborate as this but cities do need a better plan to extend the urinary leash. I know that upkeep is a major consideration but maybe all-gender bathrooms would be easier to build and easier to maintain. No Place To Go: How Public Toilets Fail Our Private Needs by Leslie Howe underlines that we need more places to pee.

We need more arcades and public loos.