Seoul's Eunpyeong-gu has published a booklet titled "The Eunpyeong Toilet," documenting the results of its public restroom modernization project, which has been underway since 2022.
The publication goes beyond a simple record of facility upgrades, drawing attention for capturing the district's approach to reimagining public restrooms as civic spaces that elevate the character of the city and the quality of residents' daily lives.
Kim Mi-kyung, the district mayor and Seoul's first three-term female district mayor elected under civilian government, wrote in the booklet that "restrooms are the most fundamental urban facility in our daily lives and the space that reflects a neighborhood's first impression." She said the district had "continuously maintained these basic spaces of daily life with the belief that small changes can make residents' days more comfortable."
She said the project "was carried out in a way that respects the unique conditions of each site and takes into account the flow of the city and the surrounding environment." She added that the goal was to create spaces that blend naturally into their surroundings, improve user convenience and incorporate a systematic maintenance system to achieve sustainable public facilities.
She also said the district "carefully designed even the unseen details so that no one — from the elderly and frail to families with young children — would be left out or feel unsafe," underscoring the importance of inclusivity and consideration in public facilities.
"Eunpyeong-gu will continue to pay close attention to the spaces woven into daily life and consistently bring about changes that help residents in their everyday routines," Kim said. "We will always stay close to our residents and work hard, with the belief that small spaces, when brought together, make a better city."
Since 2022, the district has pursued its public restroom modernization project, renovating a total of 13 public restrooms — including those at the entrance to Jingwansa temple on Bukhansan, at the Sindogeun neighborhood park playground and at Sejangol children's park — with contemporary designs that reflect each site's local character and surrounding landscape.
Kim Jong-pil, director of Eunpyeong-gu's transportation and environment bureau, who oversaw the project, said the initiative began with the restroom at the Jingwansa entrance in 2022. "Looking back, meeting architect Nam Ji-yeon and working together from that very first project was a truly fortunate connection," he said.
He added that "her genuine passion and philosophy for architecture permeated every corner of the spaces, raising the standard of Eunpyeong-gu's public restrooms by a whole level." He said the district wanted to showcase its character through the restroom renovations and hoped the facilities would remain spaces that residents feel proud of and cherish.
The booklet is being recognized as a record that distills Eunpyeong-gu's administrative philosophy and achievements in developing public restrooms from mere conveniences into public design assets that enhance the district's urban brand.
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