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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-06-023 - Public Washroom Accessibility ) ~ Community Services ~ Report To: Date of Meeting: Submitted By: Prepared By: Ward(s) Involved: Date of Report: Report No.: Subject: Community Services Committee February 20, 2006 Christiane Sadeler, Interim Director Community Programs & Services, x 2687 Kristy Themistocleous, Administrative Secretary, Community Services Department and Christiane Sadeler, Interim Director of Community Programs & Services Borders Wards 1 & 6 February 6, 2006 CSD-06-023 PUBLIC WASHROOM ACCESSIBILITY RECOMMENDATION: That a team be formed that is comprised of city staff and community representatives from the Downtown Community Health Centre, the Kitchener Downtown Business Association (KDBA), the Working Centre and other stakeholders as appropriate; and, That this team be charged with developing recommendations and costing for the facilitation of 24/7 public washroom access within the downtown of the City of Kitchener based on the research background provided in Community Services Department report CSD-06-023, and deliver the implementation plan back to Council for consideration in 2006; and further, That the implementation plan includes a communication plan for providing the public with information on the location and operating hours of current public washroom facilities and directional signs as recommended in research cited in report CSD-06-023. BACKGROUND: On June 13, 2005, staff brought a report to Community Services Committee recommending that the City of Kitchener investigate the feasibility of 24/7 public washroom access in the downtown in response to citizen advocacy (CSD-05-079). Input from the community, including the Kitchener Downtown Community Collaborative (KDCC), the Kitchener Downtown Community Heath Centre (DCHC) and the Working Centre, supported this investigation and emphasized that there is a recognizable need in the community for this type of facility. Initially, staff from security, facility management, and by-law enforcement was consulted and agreement was reached that this issue needs further examination. Council directed staff to include in the investigation an exploration of available research and approaches taken by other similar size municipalities. This report provides a summary of the findings from research and from enquires conducted by staff. It is positioned to form the basis of deliberation for the proposed committee to ensure that these discussions are grounded in research knowledge. REPORT: Research clearly shows that access to 24/7 public washrooms affects not only homeless people but families with small children, pregnant women, seniors and city visitors. Lack of accessible public facilities has been shown to impact key indicators of quality of life in urban settings such as: 1) Economy and Tourism 2) Environment and Health and 3) Social Access and Integration. The impact of accessible public washrooms or the lack there of as identified in research has been collated to assist committee deliberations if this next phase of developments meets with the approval of Council. The findings from research are also briefly outlined in the attached Appendix A. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The location of washroom facilities can in included in future publications of maps without additional expense. Current operating budgets can support the committee suggested in this report. The cost of production of signage to direct the public to washroom facilities needs further discussions and is subject to the approval of Council. CONCLUSION: The City of Kitchener is already providing several public washroom facilities close to the downtown (City Hall, The Market) within limited opening hours. These efforts are augmented by local businesses that are open to the public using their washrooms and agencies focused on providing support to the homeless population. The Working Center is opening a facility that will include public washrooms specifically for homeless persons but the operating hours still need to be determined. However, information about the availability and location of these washrooms is not widespread. As an immediate first step, production of maps for the downtown area should clearly identify the location and operating hours of the washrooms in public facilities. A phased-in approach to meeting the public request for serious consideration of providing public washroom facilities is most likely to succeed in collaboration with local social agencies and businesses to ensure a safe and healthy outcome. A committee that has the support of Council to consult the research collated and develop an implementation plan for 24/7 access to public washrooms either through expanding existing opening hours or through planning for a new structure for consideration in the 2007 budget is a significant next step. It will also help to reassure the public that the City of Kitchener is giving serious consideration to this concern while proceeding with an eye to the multitude of experiences and perceptions related to this issue. Downtown development is anticipated to benefit economically, socially and culturally from this inclusive dialogue alone as well as the recommendations it is likely to generate. Christiane Sadeler, Interim Director, Community Programs and Services AP ATTACHMENT TO CSD-06-023 APPENDIX A Research Findings re: Links Between Public Washrooms and Key Indicators of Quality of Life and Optimal Location and Design of Public Washrooms Economv and Tourism Research shows that people are reluctant to visit an area that does not have appropriate public and clearly identified washroom facilities. The lack of such restrooms especially has been found to negatively affect persons with bladder problems (this affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men). For people with these medical conditions, venturing from home causes anxiety unless clearly accessible and identifiable alternatives are provided. Municipalities that do not that provide public washrooms have been found to discourage the public from visiting their amenities such as parks and downtown areas. Conversely studies have shown that public restrooms can help to revitalize downtown areas. Malls have public washrooms facilities and have thus become a favoured shopping location. "The downtown as a mall" is more appealing if accessible facilities are available to enhance the shoppers' and visitors' comfort. Without access to public washroom facilities most people are more likely to shop in malls where there are restrooms. This pattern is particularly true of parents with young children or seniors. Frequently stores and restaurants have signage that suggests one has to purchase something to be able to access their washroom facilities. This common protocol contravenes the municipal act in many European countries but is common practice is North America. Much of the literature about attracting people to urban centres speaks of the difficulty in facilitating a constructive public dialogue about this issue when the municipal act is silent on it. The World Toilet Organization (WTO) advocates for public washrooms as a basic human right and predicts this will be a more significant municipal discussion in the near future in North American cities. The WTO further suggests that supporting this dialogue puts cities at the cutting edge. Access to public washrooms is also a central determining factor when people decide whether to attend special events. In this context research shows that a significant number of persons will decide to not attend special events if they know that the city does not have permanent washrooms. Portable units only slightly increase attendance at special events but mostly are described by residents as an unattractive alternative to permanent facilities. Research recommends that in order to encourage and increase attendance at events it is prudent to meet the basic need for clean, accessible and safe public washroom facilities. Environmental and Health Appropriate public washroom facilities protect water sources from bacteria and disease. Without restrooms and garbage containers to dispose of waste in an appropriate manner contamination of drinking water can be a real possibility. The City of Kitchener has a by-law (2004-265) that directs residents to "stoop and scoop". This bylaw is at least in part in effect for environmental reasons and prevents unsightly streetscapes. Conversely there is no similar provision for persons visiting the downtown and the absence of public washrooms has been shown to increase behaviours of public urination causing a concern for hygiene and public enjoyment. Not providing access to public washrooms has been identified in research and by local advocates as impeding the dignity and rights of persons that have less accessible means than other residents. Legal sanctions are currently the only response to persons using public open spaces as washrooms when preventative opportunities are often simple and effective. In some research the existence and quality of public washrooms and their maintenance are identified as indicators of the municipality's attitude towards all citizens including citizens that may have higher economic, social, and health related needs. With population increases homelessness is also increasing and meeting the needs of those residents that do not have access to facilities enjoyed by the majority can significantly contribute to overall public health in downtown areas. But beyond homelessness medical studies have shown the importance of regular access to pubic washrooms to physical health and well being. The lack of accessible facilities has been identified as potentially leading to costly medical issues in the future. The population most affected by absence of public washrooms are children and youth. Children's health can be compromised when they do not access washroom facilities as needed and research outlines bladder infections, day-time and night-time wetting and constipation as some of the consequences. Some studies show that children avoid drinking water for the fear of not finding public washrooms. This is of particular concern during warm weather conditions when preventing dehydration is a significant concern especially for younger children. The homeless people in urban settings are most significantly affected by not being able to access public washrooms on a daily basis. Stereotype of the homeless person as a person with substance abuse issues have often led to an avoidance of facilities for private use in public settings for fear of increasing disposal of hypodermic needles and other drug paraphernalia that cause concern for other citizens. Many municipalities in high-density situations have successfully addressed this issue through innovative approaches such as blue light fixtures that severely hinder the capacity to use injection drugs. Research rates the potential for illicit activities low when compared to the potential spread of bacteria, germs and viruses. Many homeless people have severe medical conditions that can be linked directly to the lack of public facilities. This is coupled with a lack of hygiene causing shame, avoidance, aggressive behaviour and depression, poor attention span and restlessness. Something as simple as having hand-washing opportunities reduces the levels of disease particularly among children by 47% in stomach ailments and respiratory disease by 30%. Social Access and Intecration Access to clean and safe public restrooms affects people from diverse backgrounds because cultural expectations in the broadest sense of the word impact what people deem as acceptable facilities. The City of Kitchener is becoming increasingly diverse and access to toilets needs to be considered in light of that demographic change. Since some people fear using public restrooms, to make any public facility, washrooms included, a success they need to be constructed and operated in such a manner that the facilities feel and are safe for diverse populations. If not developed with an eye to the larger social climate public washrooms can become places that attract anti-social behaviour such as vandalism, damage of property, public indecency and drug use. There are documented methods for significantly reducing these risks. In fact, some studies show that a higher rate of victimization among homeless persons and other people of limited means can be directly linked to health issues exacerbated by poor hygiene. Location and Desicn The location is the most significant factor in the success of the public washrooms. Extensive research on the urban design of downtown toilets reports that there should be bathrooms in places of public attractions such as: playgrounds, parks, bus stations, shopping centres, strip malls and main shopping streets in downtowns. Ideally, toilets should be provided with different user groups in mind. Toilets should be visible and at grade or ramp level. Implementations should avoid fences and treed areas. Toilets that link to the townscape are most effective to add to the overall appeal of a downtown. There should be signs to easily identify locations of washroom facilities and maps should include the location and operating hours of facilities including the identification of one 24/7 public access washroom. Finally, with changing family roles, fathers and mothers increasingly share the responsibility for child rearing and operation of public washrooms is recommended to bear this reality in mind. Token, keyed and payment systems have been extensively reviewed in the literature and need to be matched to the social and economic climate of communities. A review of similar sized municipalities did not provide any significant lead in best practices. It appears that in conversation with staff from other cities in Ontario, public washrooms are rarely provided and if so for limited hours only but that the dialogue has begun to be part of civic discussions in municipalities similar in size and scope to the City of Kitchener.