Canada-Victoria's $60k open-air Urinal

[Feuer Frei!]

Way to go Canada!

Canada’s battle against public urination has a monument, and it stands in Victoria, B.C.
Prominently located just across the street from one of the city’s premier theatre venues stands the first of many artisanal urinals designed to rid Victoria’s alleys and alcoves of the unwanted stench of urine.
The $60,000 facility isn’t so much a bathroom appliance as a piece of public art. An automatic-flush stainless steel receptacle surrounded by a swirl of light-green tubes, it’s “an attraction in itself,” says Bruce Carter, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. Designers proudly note that it is the first municipally sanctioned open-air urinal in North America.
In 2005, public urination was reaching a breaking point in the B.C. capital, fuelled by a vibrant nightlife and one of Canada’s highest per-capita homeless populations. Bastion Square, the heart of the city’s picturesque Old Town — was getting particularly hard hit. As soon as the bars closed, the darkened square would be swarmed by revellers eager to relieve themselves before hailing a cab home.
After a call for proposals, the city chose Matthew Soules Architects, a hip Vancouver firm with a resume focused more on office interiors and art centres. “When you got to architecture school, your dream would never be to design a urinal,” says owner Matthew Soules. However, the firm relished being at the vanguard of a new North American trend.
In tandem with the new urinals, Victoria Police have increased their nighttime presence in the downtown. Bar-goers caught marking their territory are slapped with a $200 fine. Bylaws have also been revised to allow the city’s restaurants and cafes to stay open later. Traditional public washrooms have been assigned security guards to allow them to stay open 24 hours.
Other cities have shown tentative interest in Victoria’s strategy. Last October, at their annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas, the International Downtown Association even gave it their Downtown Pinnacle Award. Mr. Soules has received queries from a few cities — including Edmonton — but municipalities are keeping their distance until the full extent of Victoria’s urinal experiment is known.
The city has two more urine hotspots due for their own $60,000 urinals — and plans are underway for a more female-friendly design. Still, it’s going to take much more than a well-designed urinals to fix Victoria’s pee scourge. “Awareness and enforcement helps, but ultimately you’d have to get a urinal on every corner to really get a 100% solution,” says Michael Hill, downtown coordinator for the City of Victoria.






SOURCE


Hmm, if you ask me, the Canadians have pi%s poor aim, looks a bit wet to me in the pic.