Portland Loo

The Portland Loo is a type of single-occupancy public toilet designed by the city of Portland, Oregon.[1] It is manufactured, sold, and marketed by the Portland-based manufacturer Madden Fabrication under license from the city,[2][3] for $96,000 each.[4] The first unit was installed in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in Portland in 2008. Since the first unit was installed, additional 54 units have been purchased by February 2018, mostly by 20 other cities and 15 of them within the city of Portland.[5][6]

Portland Loo at Colonel Summers Park. This unit is fitted with a sharps disposal option. It was placed into service in September 2017.
Randy Leonard alongside Portland Loo, 2010

In 2014, marketing for the restroom was transferred from the city of Portland to Madden Fabrication.[7]

Design and placement

The Portland Loo has features such as blue lighting said to make it difficult for intravenous drug users to find a vein for injection.[5][8][9][10] After Portland Loos were installed in Chico, California, the Chico Enterprise-Record editorial board summarized what has worked and what didn't: they credited human attendants as the key to successful locations such as the attended locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco.[11]

Features and specifications

The toilets can be solar powered.[12] The interior dimensions are 6 feet (1.8 m) x 10.5 feet (3.2 m), so a user can wheel in a bicycle or baby-stroller to protect them from theft.[13] Water consumption is 1.28 US gallons (4.8 L) per flush[14] There is a maintenance closet in the rear that includes a hose for cleaning.[15] One of the prefabricated loos can be installed in as little as two hours if a concrete pad on which to place the loo has been prepared in advance, complete with the utility connections.[16]

Customization and options

Some installations have been fitted with a sharps disposal option for needles, primarily in the area with high transient activity due to the increased drug activity by homeless people.[17] The sharps disposal is a hole above the handrail marked with the biohazard symbol and lettering "Sharps Disposal". In Portland, some units are fitted with sharps disposal receptacle, such as the one at Colonel Summers Park that was placed into service in September 2017 [18] in the Buckman neighborhood and South Park Blocks.

List of locations
Cities that have purchased one or more Portland loos
CityYearQtyNotes
Portland200815
  • Portland's first loo was installed in 2008. The city had 15 loos by 2018.[16] Six of the downtown toilets are generally open 24/7. The remainder follow park hours and may close seasonally.[19]
Victoria, BC20125
  • Victoria was the first city, after Portland, to install a loo.[12][20]
Cambridge, MA20162
  • A broad coalition of groups had been lobbying for Cambridge to replace the public washrooms that were closed by the city in 2012.[21][22]
  • The first Portland Loo in the Boston area was installed just outside the main entrance to Harvard University.[22][23]
  • [24]
  • The second loo in Cambridge was installed at the expense of $320,000 after a citizen initiative in Central Square.[25]
Cincinnati2015
  • Political activists had been calling for improved access to public toilets since 2011.[14]
  • Cincinnati had considered, and rejected, an alternate plan to provide public toilets, in 2013.[26]
Missoula, Montana2017
Montreal20171
  • Montreal's loo is just one of a dozen new public toilets the city ordered in 2017.[15]
Olympia, Washington20171
Seattle20193
  • The city of Seattle installed single-occupancy self cleaning toilets in 2003 in Pioneer Square. They were removed in 2008, with city officials commenting that the project failed because they were placed into "neighborhoods that already had many drug users and transients."[28][29]
  • Seattle installed its third Portland Loo in Ballard Commons Park in 2019.[30][31][32]
San Antonio20172
  • By the time the second loo was installed, the San Antonio Police credited the first loo with a significant decrease in human waste polluting city streets.[13][33][34]
Austin
  • Two units will be installed at the expense of $450,000 and scheduled to open in November 2019.
San Diego20151
  • San Diego installed two loos in 2015,[35] and removed one after a reported increase in crime rates and maintenance costs.[8]
  • A transient interviewed by a Union-Tribune reporter shared his observation that it was rare to find feces on the streets until the removal of Portland Loo.[36]
Albuquerque20171
  • Installed in 2020 at The Plaza Vieja public parking lot in Old Town after being purchased at auction in 2017.
Vancouver, British Columbia5
  • According to the Portland Tribune "a Portland Loo in Vancouver, B.C. was voted the best public toilet in Canada in 2012."[16]
  • Vancouver had 5 loos by 2018.[16]
Vancouver, Washington20182
  • The loos come equipped with both a baby-changing table, and "sharps" disposal bin.[17] City authorities reported that using ordinary port-a-potties as public toilets represented a threat to maintenance workers, as there was no safe place to dispose of used syringes.
Galveston5
  • Galveston had 5 loos by 2018.[16]
  • Galveston's loos are near its seawall and all include an outdoor shower for bathers.[37]
Dunedin, New Zealand20161
  • The loo was installed in 2016 at the top of a steep street with a scenic view popular with tourists from cruise ships. Previously, the area had no public toilet and human waste was an issue for local residents.[38][39]
Miami, Florida
  • Operated 12 hours a day with an attendant.[40][41]
Emeryville, California20171
Ketchikan, Alaska20141
  • Called Stedman-Thomas Neighborhood Loo[44][45]
Kamloops, BC20182
Smithers, BC20171
  • The Smithers loo was the first to be adapted to make sure its pipes don't freeze during especially cold winter days.[48][49][50][51]
Nelson, BC20171
  • Open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. in conjunction with other toilets during the busy summer tourist season. May open other seasons if deemed necessary.[52][53]
Nanaimo, BC20131
  • The second loo ordered from Canada.[20][54]
Monterey, California20151
  • The loo was placed outside of Monterey California's major transit hub.[55]
  • The loo was judged a success, and the Monterey-Salinas Transit is considering purchasing another.[56]
Arcata, California20141
Garberville, California
Ventura, California20181
  • The county's older toilets had been a target of vandalism, to which a Portland Loo was seen as less vulnerable.[60]
Sacramento, California20191
Salt Lake City2
Reno, Nevada20201
Grand Rapids, Michigan20201
Kalamazoo, Michigan20201
Kelowna, BC20211
  • Installation of a Portland Loo in Rowcliffe Park was completed in early 2021.[65]
Santa Rosa, CA20211
  • In front of the City Hall Annex at 94 Santa Rosa Ave.[65]

Public reception
Portland Loo in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts

In 2011, police officer (and future police union president) Daryl Turner characterized the existing Portland Loo in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in Portland described as "Randy Leonard's crack house right there" and "a favorite nighttime destination for drug dealers and prostitutes, who conduct their business behind its closed door."[66] In 2014, National Geographic's documentary Drugs, Inc. Dope-landia featured two female transients occupying the Portland Loo at the same time and smoking methamphetamine at the Southwest Naito Parkway and Southwest Taylor Street location in downtown Portland by the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.[67]

In mid-2016, residents near the San Diego toilet called it "a magnet for crime and homelessness".[68] An editorial intern for the special interest magazine Yes! Magazine called criticism of the Portland Loo a focus point for "systematic denial of humanity to homeless people".[69] San Diego officials documented an increase in police calls after Portland Loo units were installed. The calls are mostly disturbance of peace-type relating to transient people. In July 2015:

According to a memo from city Chief Operating Officer Scott Chadwick, police were called to the restroom at 14th and L streets 25 times between April and June, compared to 11 times in the same period last year — before the facility was installed. Calls at the other one climbed from 32 to 58.[70]

In 2016, some stakeholders in Seattle's U-District expressed concerns about increase in transient people and drug activity with the proposed installation of a Portland Loo in their neighborhood.[71]

In October 2017, Caddo Parish, Louisiana commission discussed on the proposal for installing a Portland Loo on the courthouse grounds. During the commission discussion, commissioners commented "We don't need to be doing anything to attract people to the courthouse" and "transient people are going to be on the courthouse grounds". The commission voted to move the discussion to long range planning commission.[72]

Some business owners in San Diego expressed concerns about increase in drug and transient activity in general. The city of San Diego decommissioned one of the two Portland Loos installed due to transient activity and crime and put the removed loo up for auction on GovDeals. The city of Albuquerque purchased it for $20,000 in the summer of 2017.[73] KRQE reported in October 2018 that despite having purchased and taken delivery of the Portland Loo, it has yet to be installed. City Councilor Benton's office did not respond to KRQE's request for explanation.[74]

The loo has been praised by a homelessness advocacy group in Washington, D.C. and a columnist for Toronto Star.[75][76]

Intellectual property

The Portland Loo is reportedly the "brainchild" of a former Portland commissioner Randy Leonard, who obtained a design patent on the stainless steel design in 2008.[7][77]

When the city of Portland commissioned the design of the toilet, it retained the intellectual property rights to the design, and would receive a royalty from the manufacturer, for each unit it sold. Press reports described this arrangement as a source of funds, for the city.[77] In August 2013, the municipal corporation city of Portland sued a Roseburg, Oregon manufacturer Romtec that has been manufacturing a similar product for infringement.[78] A settlement was reached to end the infringement lawsuit. The terms allow Romtec to continue to make and sell their Sidewalk Restroom for 25 years, but subject to a royalty payment at the rate of 8% of selling price payable to the city of Portland.[79]

In 2014, a citizen group sued the city, asserting the city had spent over $600,000 to promote the loos, without proper authorization. The city of Portland had exited its role in sales and marketing of the Portland Loo. It has leased the rights to use and market the design to Madden for 25 years in exchange for 8% royalty payment to the city.[7][80]

In November 2019, KATU News reports Madden's 8% Portland Loo royalty payment since 2014 to the City of Portland totaled $363,323.[4]

Society and culture

The loos have been featured in the television show Portlandia, and fans seek them out, for photo-ops, when they visit Portland.[16]

Toilets inspired by the Portland loo

In 2018 Vernon, British Columbia planned to purchase Portland loos, but withdrew after being placed on a waiting list, so had a local firm design a similar system.[81][82][83]

See also

References
  1. Trageser, Claire (July 28, 2015). "Should Public Toilet In Downtown San Diego Stay Or Go?". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  2. Ben Schiller (September 9, 2016). "The Ultimate Public Toilet Is As Low-Tech As It Gets". Fast Company. Retrieved November 8, 2018. But, make no mistake, the Portland Loo is highly engineered. When it was developed in the Oregon city of Portland, the police, fire department, maintenance crews all gave their input, and the process cost close to $250,000. It was worth it, though. Increasingly, the Portland Loo is the potty of choice among American cities, many of which are fed with the hassles that go with more automated facilities.
  3. Ritu Prasad (May 12, 2018). "Why Starbucks faces toilet trouble". BBC News. Washington, DC. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The same principle has been used in the US city of Portland, Oregon, where public toilets built in 2012 specifically addressed the problems of Seattle's toilet fiasco. Dubbed the Portland Loo, these public facilities tackled the biggest issues—illegal activities and high-volume usage—via minimalism.
  4. Thomas, Keaton (November 18, 2019). "Loo loot: How much has Portland made in the toilet business? Where does the cash go?". KATU. Archived from the original on November 20, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  5. Robinson, Melia (October 3, 2016). "Portland, Oregon, spent $250,000 to reinvent the public toilet — and it worked". Business Insider. Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  6. Redden, Jim (February 1, 2018). "Portland Loos making a splash beyond city". Portland Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  7. Brad Schmidt. "City flushes its role marketing and selling Portland Loo public restrooms". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017. Efforts to market and sell the Portland Loo have been transferred from the city to restroom manufacturer Madden Fabrication as part of a royalty agreement inked by officials last month.
  8. Friesen, Peter. "An Il-Loo-minating experience in Missoula's Art Park". Missoulian. Lee Enterprises. ISSN 0746-4495. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017. Almost every one of the Loo's features, which initially may seem flaws, actually is designed to deal with specific public bathroom issues.
  9. Evan Schreiber (September 20, 2017). "Blue bathroom hue deters drug use, among other benefits". KOLD-13. Tuczon, Arizona. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020. 'The blue LED lights don't allow good contrast on your veins,' Portland Loo Sales Manager Evan Madden told Tucson News Now. 'It doesn't solve the problem but it doesn't make it easy.'
  10. "A unique solution to a universal problem". theloo. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The unit's hand-washing station is mounted on the exterior to promote shorter use times and to serve the general pedestrian population.
  11. "Editorial: Human presence needed for bathrooms to work". Chico Enterprise-Record. February 27, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  12. Murphy, Kim (August 29, 2012). "Portland Loo, a public toilet that skips to the head of its class: The Oregon city has successfully tackled several urban issues with its solar-powered, not-that-private public toilets. Now other cities smell a winner". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  13. Jackie Kent (October 2, 2018). "City has yet to install $20,000 Portland Loo". KRQE. Albuquerque. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. More than a year after the city bought a fancy portable bathroom from the city of San Diego off the auction block, it's still sitting unused. The Portland Loo is an addition to downtown many in Albuquerque say would bring relief.
  14. Randy A. Simes (February 5, 2015). "First 'Portland Loo' Public Toilet Facility to Open Along Cincinnati's Central Riverfront". Urban Cincinnati. Archived from the original on July 17, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Using just 1.28 gallons of water per flush, the toilets are also comparable to sustainable low-flush toilets that use anywhere between 1.1 to 1.6 gallons of water per flush.
  15. Rene Bruemmer (July 25, 2017). "Oh, the places you'll go! Public toilets return to Montreal". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. It also has a sink for hand-washing on the outside to discourage bathing and laundry-washing, and a concrete floor and a back door so workers can use a pressure washer several times a day to hose it down.
  16. Jim Redden (February 1, 2018). "Portland Loos making a splash beyond city". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Portland hosts 15 of the Loos, while Victoria, British Columbia, and Galveston, Texas, have five each. The farthest one is located along Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world and a popular tourist attraction in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand.
  17. Patty Hastings (October 10, 2018). "Portland Loos installed at Waterfront Vancouver". The Columbian. Vancouver, Washington. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Just east of WildFin American Grill are two restrooms manufactured by The Portland Loo. The loos are designed to prevent crime, including vandalism and illegal drug use. The first loo was installed in Portland more than a decade ago, but the pair at the waterfront are the first for the city of Vancouver. The facilities are typically put in urban areas with sizeable tourist populations, said Evan Madden, sales manager at The Portland Loo.
  18. "Colonel Summers Park | The City of Portland, Oregon". www.portlandoregon.gov. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  19. "Portland Loo™ | The City of Portland, Oregon". www.portlandoregon.gov (Source date unknown.). Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  20. Aaron Mesh (May 3, 2013). "Portland Sells Another Loo to Canada". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The sale to Nanaimo comes three months after Portland sold a Loo to Ketchikan, Alaska, and one year after the first toilet the City of Portland sold—to Victoria, British Columbia—was voted "Canada's Best Restroom."
  21. Brock Parker (September 1, 2013). "Public toilet urged for Cambridge Common". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Now, a loose coalition of churches, homelessness organizations, and businesses have launched a campaign called Advocates for a Common Toilet, in an effort to get a public restroom for the Cambridge Common. 'Where Would Jesus Go?' says one slogan. 'I Heart Toilets,' says another.
  22. Steve Annear (February 8, 2016). "Cambridge to open city's first freestanding outdoor public toilet". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. In picking a design for a public bathroom, officials opted for one modeled after the "Portland Loo," a shiny, oblong structure made of stainless steel that was first made famous in Portland, Ore.
  23. "The Portland Loo is going to Harvard (and we're so proud)". The Oregonian. February 8, 2016. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017. Portland Loo now has 21 fully armed and operational public toilets located in eight states and British Columbia, including seven in its home town.
  24. Seelye, Katharine Q. (March 6, 2016). "Heroin Epidemic Increasingly Seeps Into Public View". The New York Times Company. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017. The kiosk, called the Portland Loo and made in Oregon, was designed specifically to discourage drug use. It has slanted slats at the bottom that allow the police—or anyone—to peer in and see if someone has passed out on the concrete floor. It has no heat, air conditioning, or noise insulation, all meant to foil anyone from getting too comfortable inside. The hand-washing faucet is outside, and an attendant cleans four times a day.
  25. Tom Acitelli (February 6, 2018). "Central Square public toilet opens: 24-hour, stainless steel pitstop". Boston Curbed. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The city spent $320,000 through its participatory budget process—meaning residents pushed for the loo—to create a one-stop relief outpost similar to the 24-hour one in Harvard Square that opened two years ago.
  26. Sharon Coolidge (January 27, 2015). "24-hour 'Portland Loo' coming to Cincinnati". Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. The first Portland Loo – purchased with private donations – will be unveiled this June at the new Smale Riverfront Park. Others could follow.
  27. Dickson, Amelia (June 9, 2017). "Downtown porta-potty has 100+ visitors each day. This is the city's solution". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington: The McClatchy Company. ISSN 0746-7575. OCLC 10253415. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  28. Maag, Christopher (July 17, 2008). "Seattle to Remove Automated Toilets". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  29. Knicely, John (November 8, 2018). "Seattle adding public toilet to Ballard park for $550,000". KIRO. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  30. Erik Lacitis (September 22, 2019). "It's austere and uncomfortable. That's precisely the reason the 'Portland Loo' is finding a home in King County". Seattle Times. Retrieved October 12, 2019. But the "Portland Loo" is advertised as the best way to deal with drug use, prostitution and vandalism. Seattle already has two, at the Rainier Beach Playfield. Although there are no plans for additional loos in Seattle, according to a parks spokeswoman, more are coming to the region.
  31. Andrew Giambrone (November 28, 2018). "More public restrooms could come to D.C. under proposed pilot programs". Curbed DC. Retrieved November 29, 2018. It also assumes that the District would install two Portland Loos—a safety-focused model that took off in Oregon and is now used in about two dozen North American cities—and that 30 pilot businesses would each receive $2,000 a year in financial incentives to run public bathrooms.
  32. Lloyd, Sarah Anne (November 16, 2018). "Seattle to give outdoor bathrooms another shot in Ballard". Curbed Seattle. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  33. Alex Zielinski (June 15, 2017). "In Defense of San Antonio's $100,000 Toilet". San Antonio Current. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. San Antonio Police Department officers issued 104 citations for public urination in the ten months prior to the loo opening, according to records obtained by the local Fox affiliate. Ten months after its July installation, and that number's been cut in half — officers have only handed out 51 citations. In an interview with Fox, SAPD spokesperson Sgt. Jesse Salame linked this significant drop to the new bathroom and said that businesses have noted a clear difference in the amount of human waste left near their downtown doorsteps.
  34. Zielinski, Alex. "San Antonio Quietly Unveiled Another $95,000 Toilet". San Antonio Current. Euclid Media Group. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017. There has been little public uproar about this equally-pricey sibling of the downtown loo. Perhaps that's because the San Antonio Police Department saw its public urination citations cut in half since the downtown restroom opened its door, or because Centro's cleanup crew saw a 27 percent drop in "cleaning efforts related to human waste" near the loo.
  35. Claire Trageser (August 10, 2015). "San Diego Installed Public Loos, But Now They're Flush With Problems". National Public Radio. Retrieved November 8, 2018. San Diego spent more than half a million dollars installing its two loos—double the initial price tag. Now, due to more costs and residents' complaints, it's planning to remove one and put it in storage. A nearby homeless shelter will open its bathrooms around the clock instead.
  36. Smith, Joshua Emerson (September 23, 2017). "Homeless say public restrooms severely impacted, defecation continues in the streets". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tronc. ISSN 1063-102X. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017. Chatting about the state of public restrooms, Lofton recalls the Portland Loo that the city removed from 14th and L streets next to the Petco Park parking lot. It was ripped out by the city in 2016 after about a year in operation, during which time businesses owners and residents complained about drugs, crime and lewd activity near the facility. 'It used to be a rarity to see feces on the ground,' Lofton said. 'Now it's a commonplace thing. These people are acting like animals because people are treating them like animals.'
  37. "Five new Portland Loo bathrooms open to visitors in Galveston Friday". KTRK-TV. Galveston. March 30, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. If you head to Galveston this weekend, you'll see five new Portland Loo public restrooms along the Seawall. Each bathroom includes an outdoor shower, so you can rinse off after a long day at the beach.
  38. Lydia Anderson (December 21, 2016). "Not all relieved by new steepest-street loo". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Dunedin City Council has long promised to install a toilet and one has now been put in on North Road, near the entrance to Baldwin Street, and today it is making good on that.
  39. David Loughrey (August 18, 2017). "Baldwin St toilet drain on budget". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The Portland loo was lauded when it was proposed as being easy to maintain with no tiles or electronic doors and few moving parts. They were favoured by police overseas, as "nefarious" activities were less easy to undertake than in fully enclosed toilets.
  40. Johnny Diaz (September 19, 2018). "Gotta go? Miami opens permanent public bathroom in downtown". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The sleek facility, which looks like an elongated kiosk or booth, includes a toilet, sink, a safe needle disposal area. There's also an attendant.
  41. Joey Flechas (September 19, 2018). "While Miami tries to end protection of homeless from police, city debuts public toilet". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The restroom helps people who in the past had fewer places to relieve themselves. The lack of options has been well-documented in recent years, including a "poop map" created by the downtown authority that documented human feces and urine found in public around downtown. A pilot portable toilet program was deemed successful in attracting more than 100 flushes a day and keeping the streets cleaner, so much so that officials moved forward with the permanent restroom. Construction on the permanent toilet began in April.
  42. "Emeryville Gets Portland Loo". Chavez Park. May 22, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The City of Emeryville has stepped forward where Berkeley fears to tread: it's installed a public restroom. Located on Park Avenue at the south end of Joseph Emery Park, sandwiched between the Pixar Animation Studios to the west and the Ihop on the east, the year-old new facility is the famous Portland Loo.
  43. Ali Tadayon (December 1, 2017). "Oakland looks to add portable bathrooms on city land". East Bay Times. Oakland, California. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Kaplan suggested at the meeting that the city consider installing outdoor restrooms similar to the "Portland Loo," a pre-fabricated flush-toilet kiosk that hooks up directly to sewer lines. The city of Emeryville has installed them and swears by it, Kaplan said.
  44. Aaron Mesh (February 18, 2013). "Alaska Would Like to Buy a Portland Loo, Please". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The Ketchikan Gateway Bureau has ordered one of the city's patented stainless steel, solar-powered, open-air public toilets. But Portland can't complete the sale until the City Council gives environmental services director Dean Marriott the power to sign off on deals.
  45. Maria Dudzak (June 16, 2014). "New loo offers relief in busy tourist season". KRBD. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2018. With public restrooms few and far between in downtown Ketchikan, the much-needed facility was opened light-heartedly with plungers, poo cookies, and toilet-paper-for-napkins on hand. Borough Transit Director Kyan Reeve says the state-of-the-art design is used in Portland, Oregon and cost less than $100,000.
  46. Courtney Dickson (February 28, 2018). "Relief comes to Kamloops in the form of free-standing restrooms: Residents and local agencies have been asking for 24-hour public toilets in downtown area". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Portland Loos aren't new to the province; Smithers, Victoria and Nelson all boast the free-standing restrooms.
  47. Andrea Klassen (February 27, 2018). "Kamloops to get two public loos". Kamloops this week. Retrieved November 8, 2018. City staff will look to purchase bathrooms that are similar to the Portland Loo model, in which a person's feet are visible while they are in the unit. The style is intended to help cut down on problem behavior, such as drug use, in the stalls, and provide police access if needed.
  48. Andrew Kurjata (January 6, 2017). "'Canada's best toilet' being installed in Smithers, B.C.: Portland Loo is durable, low-maintenance and received praise from other B.C. cities". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The community has been using an off-street port-a-potty in the summer months, but council voted to purchase a Portland Loo after hearing about its success in other communities as a year-round facility. Notably, a unit installed on Langley Street in Victoria was voted the best public washroom in Canada.
  49. Andrew Kurjata (July 27, 2017). "Toilet tourism: B.C. communities using public restrooms to create 'must-go' destinations". CBC News. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Portland Loos are made out of stainless steel and coated with an anti-graffiti finish, and have been installed in both Smithers and Nelson this year.
  50. Chris Gareau (June 14, 2017). "Portland Loo installed". Interior News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The Portland Loo toilet was being installed June 14 on Second Avenue near Main Street. It is the first built by the Oregon company to withstand a harsher winter, with modifications meant to withstand temperatures down to -15 C.
  51. Chris Gareau (July 6, 2017). "Smithereens skip to the loo". Interior News. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The Loo cost $195,000 to buy, ship and install.
  52. "Portland Loo has landed". Nelson Daily. July 23, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2018. However, the Portland Loo, a low maintenance flush toilet with graffiti resistant steel cladding frame at an estimated cost of $140,000, is not quite ready for prime time as barricades circle the structure.
  53. "Top 10 FAQs - Portland Loo in Downtown Nelson". City of Nelson, BC. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  54. Bill Metcalfe (May 26, 2017). "Nelson to install public washroom". Nelson Star. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Gainham said there are now four other installations of Portland Loos in B.C. — two in Victoria, one in Nanaimo, and one to be installed in Smithers.
  55. David Schmalz (February 25, 2015). "Portland Loo arrives to Monterey's Simoneau Plaza. It's beige". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The Portland Loo has been voted the best public restroom in Canada, which has three of them. It has its own Facebook page and blog. And as of last week, Monterey residents have one to call their own. It's beige.
  56. Megan Meier (November 2, 2018). "Monterey-Salinas Transit to offer more public restroom options in downtown Salinas". KION-TV. Retrieved November 8, 2018. This is where the new "Portland Loo" will come in. MST said the "loo" has proved successful at the Monterey Transit Center, and would benefit downtown Salinas, as well.
  57. Andrew Goff (December 9, 2014). "Arcata's New Loo Will Now Accept Your Bodily Waste". Lost Coast Outpost. Retrieved November 8, 2018. The new steel restroom — modeled on the Portland Loo, PDX's preferred piss place since 2008 — features a toilet, toilet paper, a hand-sanitizing station inside and running water for washing up on one of its exterior walls. There was much chatter at the event wondering how long the structure would remain in its current pristine condition.
  58. Kelley Lincoln (December 22, 2017). "Garberville public restroom becoming a reality". Retrieved November 9, 2018. The bathroom being installed at the Garberville Town Square is modeled on the Portland Loo which the people of Portland, Oregon had designed to solve the city's public restroom needs. Portland Loos incorporate a supply closet and solar panels mounted on top of their units while keeping vandalism and non-bathroom uses to a minimum with its design features.
  59. Linda Stansberry (November 12, 2015). "A Place to Go". North Coast Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2018. Arcata Environmental Services Director Mark Andre says the loo has turned out to be a 'nice facility,' especially in terms of durability. Downtown businesses have experienced fewer issues with "non-patrons," and the restroom in general has been 'a positive addition.' As for the claim that the restroom has attracted more people to the nearby Veteran's Memorial Park, Andre calls this a 'false correlation.'
  60. Arlene Martinez (January 18, 2018). "Portland Loo arrives at Kellogg Park in Ventura". Ventura County Star. Retrieved November 10, 2018. The Westside Community Council, a neighborhood group representing west Ventura, celebrated the Loo's arrival Monday at the park. The group raised $10,000 toward the purchase of the facility, which is expected to cost just under $200,000, according to city officials. That's significantly less than a traditional brick-and-mortar bathroom.
  61. Theresa Clift (February 4, 2019). "'Civic responsibility' or crime magnet? Historic Sacramento park likely to get public bathroom". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved February 5, 2019. The City Council will soon consider whether to approve the design and construction of a restroom in the park for $360,000. The "Portland Loo" style freestanding restroom would not just serve the homeless who congregate there but also the general public, said Councilman Steve Hansen, who represents downtown.
  62. Babs Delay (March 2, 2016). "Drop Zones". Salt Lake City Weekly.
  63. "New public restroom opens along Truckee River". This Reno. August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020. Project partners said they selected the Portland Loo because of its durability and easy maintenance, and, they said, it 'minimizes use of the facility for unintended purposes.'
  64. Hannah Knowles (December 19, 2020). "City of Kalamazoo opens free, public bathroom facility amid winter and COVID-19". WWMT-TV. Kalamazoo, Michigan. Retrieved December 20, 2020. The Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership opened the "Portland Loo," a public outdoor restroom facility, in downtown Kalamazoo to help aid the lack of public restrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  65. Josh Duncan (October 22, 2020). "City of Kelowna installing 'Portland Loo' in Rowcliffe Park". Kelowna Now. Kelowna, BC. Retrieved May 26, 2021. The standalone, single stall washroom was specially designed to work in urban settings like Rowcliffe Park
  66. "Overwhelmed by crack, Old Town asks for help". Portland Tribune. February 11, 2011. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  67. Drugs, Inc. Dope-landia. National Geographic. 2014. pp. Season 5 Episode 4 Around 2m30s to 3m30s.
  68. Walsh, Lynn (August 26, 2016). "Portland Loo in East Village Attracting Crime, Neighbors Say: SDPD has responded to the intersection where the East Village Portland Loo is located 20 percent more often than before it was installed, data shows". KNSD. San Diego, California. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  69. Scott, Joe (January 15, 2016). "Why Are Bathrooms the Place to Air Our Politics? From issues of gender-bullying to discrimination against homeless people, safe and reliable bathroom access is a hot political topic these days". Yes!. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  70. Alexander Nguyen (July 24, 2015). "City Mulls Removing East Village Restroom Used by Homeless". Times of San Diego. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  71. "Loo for the U" (PDF). City of Seattle - Department of Neighborhoods. 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  72. Talamo, Lex (October 2, 2017). "Courthouse outside bathrooms will have to wait". Shreveport Times. Retrieved March 1, 2019. We don't need to be doing anything to attract people to the courthouse," Middleton said. "Transient people are going to be on the courthouse grounds," Linn said but added, "I am comfortable with it not being on the courthouse grounds, and I think we can do it in a place that is not as invasive as the courthouse grounds.
  73. McKee, Chris (March 21, 2018). "Councilor looks to install public 'loo' restroom in downtown Albuquerque". KRQE. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  74. Kent, Jackie (October 3, 2018). "City has yet to install $20,000 Portland Loo". KRQE. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  75. Edward Keenan (November 7, 2018). "In our quest for livability, we've forgotten about public washrooms". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Perhaps the shining example is Portland, Oregon, where by simple design, the "Portland Loo" has become a civic success story: resistant to vandalism and misuse mostly through design, open to everyone for free, paid for not through a convoluted advertising contract but by public money, because they are a public good.
  76. Marcia Bernbaum; George Olivar; Janet Sharp; John McDermott (October 10, 2018). "Tell the DC Council: We need more public bathrooms downtown". Greater Greater Washington. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018. DC only has five public restrooms downtown. It could stand to add a few like these, from Portland, OR.
  77. Aaron Mesh (May 14, 2013). "Money Bucket". Willamette Week. Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017. Why? If Peterson, supervising two marketing consultants working on commission, can sell enough loos to other cities, the proceeds will pay the cleaning bill for the six public toilets Portland has already installed.
  78. Journal, A. B. A. "Portland raises stink over its public potty design, sues for infringement". ABA Journal. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  79. Schmidt, Brad (February 14, 2014). "Portland Loo: City to collect royalties from competitor sued for copyright infringement: Portland City Hall Roundup". oregonlive.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  80. Brad Schmidt (March 11, 2014). "Judge: Portland City Council overreached on Portland Loos, voter-owned elections". Oregon Live. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2018. Bushong also concluded that the Portland Loo outdoor public restroom program was essentially a $618,000 business venture gone bad. Before Bushong's decision, city officials had conceded that the Loos weren't a core utility service and have proposed paying for them with general fund money in the future.
  81. Ben Bulmer (April 17, 2019). "Vernon to spend $275K on two public washrooms downtown". Infotell. Vernon, BC. Retrieved October 12, 2019. The plan is to spend the cash on two single-occupancy public toilets, which will be open 24 hours a day seven days a week, according to a document from City of Vernon procurement services. The stainless steel toilets are resistant to vandalism and painted with an anti-graffiti coating.
  82. "State of the art loo installed in Okanagan". Penticton Western News. October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2019. The stainless steel walls have a graffiti resistant coating and there are open slats at the top and bottom, offering privacy, but still allowing police to ensure there is only one person inside at a time and to see whether or not the user is in distress.
  83. Ben Bulmer (October 11, 2019). "Much ado about a loo: Taking Vernon's new outdoor washroom for a spin". Infotel. Retrieved October 12, 2019. The City had originally discussed spending $275,000 on two Portland Loos from the Oregon firm who had a lengthy waiting list for their toilets. The City changed course and looked closer to home found and found Eagle Industries who designed and produced the washrooms. According to the City, they're still crunching the numbers and haven't got a total as yet, but in a statement said it 'came in well under budget.'
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