What's Your Problem? Building a Better Public Bathroom
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Oct 16, 2025 Fletcher Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Throne Labs, tackles the challenge of making public bathrooms cleaner, safer, and more accessible. He discusses the historic decline of public toilets and how his team designs innovative, movable bathroom units equipped with smart features to prevent vandalism. Fletcher shares interesting insights about community advocacy and how local users often take pride in these facilities. He also recounts lessons learned from early tests, emphasizing accessibility and user feedback as keys to improving the public restroom experience.
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Doors As Safety Features
- Smart locks and timed automatic doors act as safety features that can save lives by allowing access when users become unresponsive.
- These controls balance safety and privacy while preventing overnight occupancy and overdoses going unnoticed.
Local Users Became Advocates
- In Westlake MacArthur Park, local residents became advocates for the Throne units and reported specific problem users to staff.
- People without regular bathroom access expressed gratitude and helped keep the toilets safe.
Give Tap Cards For Access
- Provide tap cards and partner with community organizations for people without phones or with dead batteries.
- Issue revocable free-access cards so service remains inclusive but still controllable.