A pissoir is a French invention, common in Europe, that provides a urinal in public space with a lightweight structure. The availability of pissoirs aims to reduce urination onto buildings, sidewalks, or streets. They can be freestanding and without screening, with partial screening, or fully enclosed.
'Colonne Rambuteau', photographed 1865
A cast iron urinal in College Street, Glasgow, installed 1850–54, photographed in 1866
A later Paris pissoirs in cast iron, photographed c. 1865
Colonnes Rambuteau, Paris, c. 1860
A public toilet, restroom, public bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils or prisoners and are commonly separated into male and female toilets, although some are unisex, especially for small or single-occupancy public toilets, public toilets are sometimes accessible to people with disabilities. Depending on the culture, there may be varying degrees of separation between males and females and different levels of privacy. Typically, the entire room, or a stall or cubicle containing a toilet, is lockable. Urinals, if present in a male toilet, are typically mounted on a wall with or without a divider between them. Local authorities or commercial businesses may provide public toilet facilities. Some are unattended while others are staffed by an attendant. In many cultures, it is customary to tip the attendant, especially if they provide a specific service, such as might be the case at upscale nightclubs or restaurants.
A public toilet on the Boise River Greenbelt in Idaho, USA, featuring public art.
A public toilet at a park in Viiskulma, Helsinki, Finland
A "washroom" (public toilet) at York University in Toronto, Ontario
Public pay toilet in Kenya