Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil
Public toilets are essential infrastructure to guarantee the right to sanitation in public spaces and, in more general terms, the right to inclusive and sustainable cities. Moreover, since the equipment has a direct user interface, it is important to understand their demands and needs. Given this, t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IWA Publishing
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Water and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/20/1/41 |
| _version_ | 1819278869842100224 |
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| author | Fernanda Deister Moreira Sonaly Rezende Fabiana Passos |
| author_facet | Fernanda Deister Moreira Sonaly Rezende Fabiana Passos |
| author_sort | Fernanda Deister Moreira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Public toilets are essential infrastructure to guarantee the right to sanitation in public spaces and, in more general terms, the right to inclusive and sustainable cities. Moreover, since the equipment has a direct user interface, it is important to understand their demands and needs. Given this, the present research aims to understand the perspective of public toilet users on the Pampulha Lake Shore (PLS), a public touristic place in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. For that, observations and semi-structured interviews were carried out with different public toilet users. In addition, comments posted on the Google Local Guides tool of Google Maps were used as a secondary database for understanding users' experience of PLS toilets. The analysis made it possible to identify aspects related to availability, quality (health and hygiene), security, and accessibility. Collected data showed how the conflicting choice of whether or not to use the toilet was directly related to the health and conservation of the urban equipment and interfered with social and leisure prospects. On the whole, the importance of the user's perspective was highlighted in this study with emphasis on elaborating adequate urban planning with regard to health, sanitation, and accessibility issues. HIGHLIGHTS
Public toilets are essential to guarantee the right to sanitation in cities.;
Users' experience was found crucial for implementing effective public equipments.;
The case study was used to link users’ experience and human rights to sanitation.;
Availability, accessibility, and quality/safety were the main concerns of users.;
Google Local Guides was shown as a useful tool to complement users' opinions.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T00:18:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-570843735a37470897f11d3ca97116a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1477-8920 1996-7829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T00:18:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Water and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-570843735a37470897f11d3ca97116a22022-12-21T17:24:39ZengIWA PublishingJournal of Water and Health1477-89201996-78292022-01-01201415310.2166/wh.2021.127127Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, BrazilFernanda Deister Moreira0Sonaly Rezende1Fabiana Passos2 Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Brazil Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Brazil Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Brazil Public toilets are essential infrastructure to guarantee the right to sanitation in public spaces and, in more general terms, the right to inclusive and sustainable cities. Moreover, since the equipment has a direct user interface, it is important to understand their demands and needs. Given this, the present research aims to understand the perspective of public toilet users on the Pampulha Lake Shore (PLS), a public touristic place in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. For that, observations and semi-structured interviews were carried out with different public toilet users. In addition, comments posted on the Google Local Guides tool of Google Maps were used as a secondary database for understanding users' experience of PLS toilets. The analysis made it possible to identify aspects related to availability, quality (health and hygiene), security, and accessibility. Collected data showed how the conflicting choice of whether or not to use the toilet was directly related to the health and conservation of the urban equipment and interfered with social and leisure prospects. On the whole, the importance of the user's perspective was highlighted in this study with emphasis on elaborating adequate urban planning with regard to health, sanitation, and accessibility issues. HIGHLIGHTS Public toilets are essential to guarantee the right to sanitation in cities.; Users' experience was found crucial for implementing effective public equipments.; The case study was used to link users’ experience and human rights to sanitation.; Availability, accessibility, and quality/safety were the main concerns of users.; Google Local Guides was shown as a useful tool to complement users' opinions.;http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/20/1/41human rightstoiletpublic healthpublic policyrestroomssanitation |
| spellingShingle | Fernanda Deister Moreira Sonaly Rezende Fabiana Passos Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil Journal of Water and Health human rights toilet public health public policy restrooms sanitation |
| title | Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil |
| title_full | Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil |
| title_short | Public toilets from the perspective of users: a case study in a public place, Brazil |
| title_sort | public toilets from the perspective of users a case study in a public place brazil |
| topic | human rights toilet public health public policy restrooms sanitation |
| url | http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/20/1/41 |
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