However, the right to access toilets is part of the right to sanitation in international texts, and is therefore implicitly considered a human right.

Public sanitation: an essential requirement for urban mobility

This article is the 1st in a series examining the socio-economic challenges linked to access to these services in France, and exploring how the BubblesMapper platform can provide an innovative and inclusive solution to various basic physiological needs, playing a decisive role in quality of life and urban mobility.

Overview of locations and accessibility

In France, there is around one facility for every 4,700 inhabitants, putting us among the average for Western countries. According to a report by the French Water Academy [2], however, the number of public toilets is insufficient in many French towns and cities. Despite legislative efforts to improve the situation, shortages are still being felt, and disparities across the country are extreme. Around three-quarters of France's 35,000 communes have no public toilets. The major cities with the fewest facilities include Lille, Marseille and Strasbourg: Lille, Marseille and Strasbourg. Among the best equipped: Rennes, Lyon and Paris.

Of the 14,000 public toilets in mainland France [3], a significant proportion have to be paid for, which is a barrier for vulnerable populations. What's more, not all infrastructures are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and are often poorly maintained and unwelcoming. Public water points, though plentiful, are poorly promoted and little known by the public. As for official places to change clothes or refresh oneself, their almost non-existence reflects the lack of consideration and usefulness given to them in the public debate.

It has to be said that the provision of sanitary facilities is not enough in an increasingly mobile and ageing French society. This is an issue that concerns the entire population, from the ordinary traveler to the elderly or chronically ill, and those with special needs who rarely find adapted facilities such as changing tables or accessible showers.

Shortcomings in terms of user needs

Users' needs in terms of sanitary facilities are varied and often not met by current provision. The search for adapted infrastructures accessible to all concerns many profiles.

Parents are looking for clean places with changing tables and spaces to breastfeed or rest with their children. People with chronic illnesses or disabilities require accessible facilities and specific equipment such as grab bars[DM1] . Tourists, those living on the outskirts of the city, students, city workers and professionals on the move are also looking for easily accessible water points and clean toilets to refresh themselves or change quickly.

Despite current legislation, installation and maintenance costs, as well as a lack of coordination between the various public and private players, are holding back the improvement of these essential services. Yet the difficulty of accessing these infrastructures, which should be set up to satisfy everyone's physiological needs, is at the root of a disruption to tourist, economic, cultural and sporting itineraries. For many people, this represents a source of anxiety, discrimination, uncertainty or insecurity, leading them to give up many activities in the public sphere.

The desirable ideal

The ideal would be a city where every user, whatever their profile or specific needs, has easy access to clean, safe and welcoming sanitary facilities. This implies an integrated approach, where local authorities, businesses and citizens work together to share inclusive, well-maintained public spaces. Initiatives such as accessible toilets in every neighborhood, well-distributed showers and water points, and specific facilities for families and people with disabilities are essential to achieving this goal.

By providing access to their toilets, hotel and catering professionals, for example, could reconcile public service with additional visibility, provided they are able to control the flow of users acceptable to their core business.

BubblesMapper: an innovative solution

In addition to promoting inclusion and mobility, BubblesMapper is committed to meeting the physiological needs of the traveler. When you're looking for a place to cool off in the city, you'll find a real comfort bubble to take care of you! Our application facilitates travelers' well-being and journeys thanks to a wide range of places of ease. BubblesMapper meets pressing needs in a practical and efficient way.

Our platform is also an innovative solution for retailers and tourism operators. Enhancing the value of underutilized spaces helps to boost your business and support the improvement and maintenance of your facilities. Connecting with users is facilitated by our location tool, and complete management of the host establishment takes place via a dedicated Pro application.

By improving existing infrastructures and creating opportunities for partner establishments, BubblesMapper actively participates in the development of a community focused on soft mobility and inclusion. Users can easily find nearby toilets, showers, changing tables, water points or changing rooms, making their journeys more comfortable and enjoyable.

By reinventing the way these services are offered and accessed, BubblesMapper makes a significant contribution to improving the quality of life and the environment, while structuring a new tourist offer for the benefit of all city users. Nous mettons tout en place pour vous soulager de l'inconfort et pour répondre à tous vos besoins.