Seattle Opens 2 Free Pioneer Square Restrooms Ahead of FIFA World Cup

7 articles · Updated · KING5.com · May 15

Two free public restrooms opened Friday near Occidental Square, giving Seattle a new downtown sanitation option before FIFA World Cup visitors arrive next month.
Throne operates the units through a QR-code entry system with 10-minute sessions and automatic door opening, a setup city leaders say is meant to curb vandalism, misuse and cleanliness problems.
People without phones will still be able to get access through outreach teams and downtown ambassadors, preserving free public use while adding oversight.
Seattle is revisiting a problem that has dogged downtown for decades: self-cleaning toilets installed in 2001 were removed by 2008 after complaints over drug use, maintenance costs and vandalism, while roughly $2 million in waterfront restrooms has drawn a better response.

Are Seattle's smartphone-accessed toilets a solution for all or a high-tech barrier for the city's most vulnerable?

Is tracking users the key to clean public restrooms, or a concerning step towards urban surveillance?