Curbed reports that New York City has unveiled some groovy new street furniture designs. It’s about freaking time! Go to any other global city (and even a few villages in Europe) and you’ll see well-designed, contemporary street furniture instead of the overflowing trash cans that are the most interesting thing on most NYC blocks. Final designs for automatic toilets, bus stations, and newstands by Grimshaw (architecture firm for the new Fulton Transit Center in Lower Manhattan) should be approved shortly, manufactured by local vendors and installed not a moment too soon (although no projected date was mentioned).
Update: Lawsuits Seek to Void $1 Billion New York City Deal for Bus Shelters, Newsstands and Toilets (natch)
[...] While New York lags behind other global cities in providing safe and clean public bathrooms, leave it to the private sector to step in and fill the void (at least temporarily). In an absolutely brilliant public relations move, Charmin is going to open a public restroom in Times Square, which will be stocked not only with TP but a human attendant through Dec. 31. And of course, there is a screaming billboard telling the 15 million tourists who come to New York over the holidays where they can “Go In Style.” According to the Times article: “Let’s face it — there aren’t a lot of environments where a bathroom tissue message is relevant,” said Dennis Legault, brand manager for Charmin. “But the message is very relevant when people really need to go.” [...]