13/03/2026
IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT TOILETS
Bernd Upmeyer interviewed urban planning scholar Clara Greed, emerita professor of Inclusive Urban Planning at the University of the West of England in Bristol. The conversation was published in the October 2025 issue of MONU and explored the broader question of how cities can become more socially inclusive.
Although Greed has become well known—sometimes “infamous,” as she herself jokes—for her research on public toilet provision, the interview makes clear that the topic is only one part of a much larger agenda. For decades, Greed has worked on the social dimensions of planning, focusing on issues such as gender equality, accessibility, disability, and the everyday experiences of people navigating cities.
In the interview, Greed discusses how planning and architecture have historically reflected the perspectives of a narrow group of professionals, often overlooking the diverse needs of the wider population. She argues that inclusive urban planning requires a stronger focus on how different groups actually use cities—particularly women, elderly people, people with disabilities, and caregivers whose daily travel patterns differ significantly from traditional planning assumptions.
A recurring theme in the conversation is the gap between environmental sustainability agendas and social inclusion. Greed suggests that many contemporary planning initiatives—from cycling policies to “15-minute city” concepts—often fail to account for the complexity of everyday urban life if they are implemented without sufficient public participation.
Ultimately, Greed argues that creating truly inclusive cities requires more than good design ideas. It depends on political will, regulatory frameworks, public participation, and greater awareness among planners, architects, and policymakers of the social realities of urban life.
The full interview, titled “It Is Not Just About Toilets,” was originally published in MONU #38 on Inclusive Urbanism in October 2025.
Images:
1. A heritage of civic pride and a high level of toilet provision, but not for women. Photo by Clara Greed
2. In 2024, residents of an area just to the east of the city centre of Bristol staged a protest in the street against the city’s first Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). Photo: Bristol Post
3. Bristol closed all its public toilets in 2018. Photo by Clara Greed
