14.🚽 The Hidden Cost of "Going": How Public Toilets Expose Urban Inequality & a Path to Liberation

An often-overlooked necessity, public toilets reveal much about a city's inclusivity. This episode traces their complex historical development and outlines key concerns identified in scientific literature. We highlight the profound social, economic, and functional importance of these public spaces, often a barometer of urban equity.

Episode 14 of The Feminist Park Podcast is here. We're flushing out the hidden history of public toilets and exposing how they are a barometer of urban equity. Drawing on the work of C. Greed, Shawna Lewkowitz, Jason Gilliland, and Judith Plaskow, we reveal the profound social and economic costs when cities fail to provide this basic amenity.

A truly feminist city must consider every detail. This episode proves that the path to liberation includes a safe, clean, and accessible public bathroom.

Emphasizes that true feminist urban planning extends to every detail, including essential amenities. The Feminist Park must ensure thoughtfully designed, safe, and accessible public toilets that cater to all users, reflecting a holistic approach to public space.

Source for Podcast Episode:

• Book/Paper: No Place to Go: The History and the Future of Public Toilets

• Author: Clara Greed

• Book/Paper: A Feminist Critical Analysis of Public Toilets and Gender: A Systematic Review

• Authors: Shawna Lewkowitz & Jason Gilliland

  Book/Paper: Taking a Break: Toilets, Gender, and Disgust

  Author: Judith Plaskow

• Intro/Outro Music: big-band-tv-show-logo-164230 Music by Anastasia Chubarova from Pixabay

#PublicHealth #UrbanDesign #Feminism #SocialJustice #UrbanPlanning #DEI #Inclusivity #PublicToilets #FeministCity

Statement:

We want to be absolutely clear: The Feminist Park Project and Podcast stand in full solidarity with the trans community.

Public toilets are not just a matter of infrastructure—they are about dignity, safety, and belonging. Too often, debates about access erase or endanger trans and gender-diverse people. We reject any framing of public space that treats their needs as secondary or “special interests.” There is no neutral built environment; the so-called “standard” has historically centered cisgender men, leaving women, trans, and non-binary people excluded.

We believe that every person deserves safe, accessible, and affirming public facilities. That means designing toilets and green spaces with inclusivity at the core, not as an afterthought. Trans rights are human rights, and trans-inclusive toilets are non-negotiable for a just and equitable city.

This project exists to challenge exclusion in urban design, and we reaffirm our commitment: our vision of feminist space is always trans-inclusive.