NPR

Nope, Those Aren't Mailboxes: Paris Rolls Out Sidewalk Urinals

The urinals are not at all subtle. They're bright red and placed in heavily trafficked areas — for example, directly next to the Seine near the Notre Dame Cathedral.
A man stands at a Uritrottoir public urinal on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris.

In Paris, authorities are taking an unusual approach to combat the scourge of public urination: Make urination even more public.

The city is experimenting with completely exposed, eco-friendly urinals.

The devices are called "Uritrottoir," which combines the words for urinal and pavement. They're not

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readCrime & Violence
Heated Arguments At The Supreme Court In Newest Abortion Case
At issue is a clash between federal and state law about how pregnant women must be treated in the emergency room.
NPR5 min readAmerican Government
First Day Of Trump's Hush Money Trial Kicks Off With Opening Statements And A Witness
The prosecution is arguing that Donald Trump wanted to keep information out of the public fearing that it would turn off voters in 2016. The defense argues Trump did nothing illegal.
NPR5 min read
A Woman With Failing Kidneys Receives Genetically Modified Pig Organs
Surgeons transplanted a kidney and thymus gland from a gene-edited pig into a 54-year-old woman in an attempt to extend her life. It's the latest experimental use of animal organs in humans.

Related Books & Audiobooks