Public Amenities Map
We mapped public restrooms, lactation and infant feeding rooms, and drinking fountains, across Boston.
The map will help City residents and visitors alike find directions to public restrooms, lactation and infant feeding rooms, and drinking fountains. Additionally, people will be able to find amenities that accommodate their specific needs, including:
- mobility (for example, restrooms with wheelchair accessible stalls or buildings not requiring stairs)
- family (for example, restrooms with changing tables), and
- other needs.
Names of Contributors: Jacob Cabral and Jeff Kaplan
Verticals Involved: Geospatial Analytics, Data Engineering
Departments Involved: Planning Advisory Council, Age Strong Commission, Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF), and Creative (within the Department of Innovation and Technology)
Year(s): 2026
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Analytics Team
-
1 City Hall Square, Room 703
Boston, MA 02201
Innovation and Technology
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 703Boston, MA 02201-2021
The Challenge
No centralized tool for viewing information about public restrooms, drinking fountains, and lactation and infant feeding rooms currently exists, making it unnecessarily difficult for residents to find these amenities. The data for these amenities is often managed by multiple stakeholders, saved in different locations and formats, and is updated irregularly.
We were inspired by New York City’s public bathroom map to create a tool that eliminates this complexity and provides users with a single, up-to-date, resource to reference.
The Solution
We centralized datasets for public restrooms, lactation and infant feeding rooms, and drinking fountains in one place which helped us organize the data collected by different departments. This will also make it easier to keep the data up to date. Next, we designed a Google Map for residents and visitors to find directions to the nearest amenities.
The Outcome
The new map contains information across the City of Boston, with about 176 restrooms, 255 drinking fountains, and 16 lactation and infant feeding rooms.
Users can access all the information about these amenities in one place and immediately get directions to a selected amenity from their current location using Google Maps.
Who's Involved
Who's Involved-
Still have questions? Contact:
Analytics Team
-
1 City Hall Square, Room 703
Boston, MA 02201
Innovation and Technology
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 703Boston, MA 02201-2021
