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[–]MarkTwainiac 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I've thought about this a lot too. There are many directions from which to approach it. Yes, there are many maddening aspects to how the built environment, including communal toilets, is/are designed. Traditionally designers have been mostly able-bodied male people who are unaware of the needs and wants of people different to themselves.

The ridiculous norms and "truths" of domestic kitchen design are another one of my pet peeves. Most of the people who came up with the standards for kitchen design that still prevail today (the height of counters & cabinets, the "kitchen triangle" setup) don't cook or bake, shop for groceries or put them away at home, wash dishes/pots, or even know how to use a dishwasher. Many of them are totally clueless about household appliances and what "housekeeping" involves - which is why in the UK it's now customary to put machines for washing and drying clothing in the same room where food is stored and prepared.

This seems to stem from the view that originated in the early 20th century for reasons of practicality in the eyes of home designers, builders and appliance manufacturers. In this view, all plumbed fixtures and appliances naturally go together. Which is why in some countries such as the USA, we've ended up with "bathrooms" that are dedicated to a bunch of very different bodily functions - from shitting & pissing on one end to bathing, cleansing, grooming, shaving and prettifying our bodies, brushing our teeth, looking in mirrors and styling our hair at the other end. Whereas in places like France, excreting waste from our urethras and asses traditionally have been kept separate from bathing, grooming and all the rest.

I think the lesson here is that more people should be consulted during the planning and design phase of toilet facilities. And the more people who have input should be made up of at least 50% female people, and that category should include girls & women of different views, ages, needs, cultures, etc.