ANTI PEE PAINT
ANTI PEE PAINT
In the streets of Hamburg, Germany, a new form of urban deterrent is turning public urination into an instant lesson in cause and effect. Known as “anti-pee paint,” this specialized nano-coating creates a superhydrophobic surface, repelling liquids so completely that anything touching it slides off with remarkable force. The result? Anyone attempting to relieve themselves on a treated wall experiences an immediate and unforgettable splash-back. The technology borrows from nature, mimicking the microscopic structure of a lotus leaf. Tiny ridges and air pockets prevent any liquid from adhering, meaning walls remain clean while offenders get an eye-opening consequence — all without the need for confrontation, fines, or patrols. It’s an ingenious blend of physics and human psychology: the paint doesn’t punish with authority, it punishes with instant feedback. First popularized in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district in 2015, this approach has since been trialed in other cities like London and San Francisco. While the coating is costly, city authorities note significant savings on cleaning and maintenance, and a marked decrease in repeat offenses. Beyond hygiene, it’s a striking example of how urban design and material science can work together to shape behavior. For engineers, urban planners, and city residents, anti-pee paint is both a marvel of nano-engineering and a lesson in poetic justice. The streets stay cleaner, the message is immediate, and the offender leaves with a story they won’t soon forget.
If enough public toilets were actually provided, this would not be a problem that needs solving.
yeah this is actually about hating the homeless, not about making a city cleaner
Haha look, we made the man who sleeps in the alley pee on himself!
What a great world -_-
And - well I was going to say surprisingly, but its really not - the post I saw just before this was about transit use and a fear of violence. Which, of course, is ultimately due to not addressing the unhoused.
While generally a promising approach, in the case of St Pauli, Hamburg it might be different. Yes there are lots of homeless people, but there are also LOTS of randoms going there to get drunk and be on their worst behavior. Its part of the spirit of that place.
Anyways "not by authority" is bs imo. An electrical fence is also "direct feedback", or razor barbed wire and you wouldn't dare calling those non-authority
Then they shouldn't be pissing on walls.
Right I'm sure the people who piss in our gateway, mysteriously every Friday and Saturday while bellowing at each other, are homeless rather than smashed out of their tiny troglodyte minds.
Hamburg has a vast number of tourists, which makes it even worse, because tourists don't have to live in the city they're pissing all over, nor see again the person they flashed because the fumbled pulling up their pants.
If there was a toilet right there, do you think they would still choose the wall?
If they would still choose the wall, do you think the paint is going to deter them?
How will people even know that the paint is piss-splashing paint?
Will people not immediately change their piss angle as soon as they get splash back?
Yeah, not everything is about the homeless. Are there actually many homeless in Munich, compared to rude tourists?
How many are enough?
https://allinmap.app/en/map/toilets/hamburg?visible_marker=toilet
https://www.stadtreinigung.hamburg/stadtsauberkeit/oeffentliche-toiletten/
Not nearly enough, especially near the transit.
If people are still peeing in the street there, then it's not enough.
Most of these are not free, according to your second link.
Exactly. First off, this happened 10 years ago when I still lived exactly there. It was a marketing campaign by the local "business improvement district", i.e. the companies that basically owned half of the quarter. The main complaint of the residents was that every time the BID organized huge festivals, they didn't provide enough public toilets. This "solution" did nothing because drunk party-goers from out of town don't "learn" anything from this. Also, most places wouldn't let you go to the loo on their premises if you didn't buy anything.
But the good news is that in 2020, 2022 and last year they actually just opened new public toilets in these areas. I imagine this very confusing solution actually helped.