I don't really understand why the author is dumping on LA's toilets so much while praising how Parisian toilets are so useful for everyday people like commuters. The LA Metro program, which is expanding and seems to be very successful, has very different goals and challenges than the skid row public bathrooms.

"JCDeaux basically invented the idea of Street furniture"

That is a fairly strong claim on the surface and the company's website has a slightly different one:

"In 1964, Jean-Claude Decaux invented advertising street furniture."

Such a fundamental mistake in the opening paragraph. Made me realize I could not trust whatever was written afterwards.

Public restrooms are a sign of advanced civilizations. It's a pity that they have to be built to withstand damage from hooligans.

• Computer0

  today at 8:01 PM

  The restroom building provides more utility than most buildings do to a hooligan. Unclear why it is an enemy.

  • CGMthrowaway

    today at 8:22 PM

    Vandalism scales linearly with [accessible, visible, unsupervised].

    Uncorrelated with the usefulness of the building after controlling for other factors

  • staplers

    today at 8:07 PM

    Any "private" space in a public place becomes valuable with more density. It's basic scarcity incentives. It unfortunately incentivizes hooligans to make the restroom appear even more disheveled and unsafe to increase the privacy (less people want to go in it)

    • mfro

      today at 8:16 PM

      You're reading way too far into it. Private spaces are simply easier targets.

      • bombcar

        today at 8:38 PM

        So the solution is obviously https://juxthpose.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/m...