Amsterdam Unstructured: What’s the deal with public amenities?

In almost every park and many streets in the city center there are public urinals for men. If you do not have male anatomy it is very difficult to find a restroom. Most businesses will turn you away if you are not a paying customer. Other businesses or available restrooms charge you to use the bathroom, usually only accepting coins. The ubiquity and accessibility of restrooms for men is a sexist design and sets the tone for who is allowed comfort and ease in the city. The lack of restrooms for anyone who is not a man is exclusive and makes daily life in public space difficult when it shouldn’t be. Parents with children also need access to restrooms in parks and public spaces. Cities should be inclusive and accessible for everyone. There is a difference between inclusivity and belonging. A place can seem open to everyone, but there are details that matter like public restrooms that make a world of a difference for belonging. Everyone should feel comfortable in a space that is for people. Women and other people who do not have access to public restrooms should not have to accept discomfort.

It is also very difficult to find water fountains or water filling stations. Most cafes are reluctant to refill your water bottle or will only do so if you are a paying customer. I asked a woman working at a movie theater if she drinks water throughout the day. She said she brings a water bottle with her to work and Dutch people refill their bottles in bathroom sinks. It seems difficult to refill your water bottle in a bathroom when there are few public restrooms available. It is easy to feel hopeless about the public space in the US after experiencing the places we have been to, so it is important to also be observant and critical of what is missing.

During my time in Amsterdam I also noticed hostile architecture. In Copenhagen none of the benches had separations or spikes. Here, I have witnessed separation in benches as well as a sticker from a leftist nonprofit, De Rode Lap speaking out against hostile architecture. The sticker read, “this object is inhuman.”