Smart public health facilities transforming city

Those who visit the Shenzhen Sports Center are discovering a new generation of smart public restrooms equipped with smart screens that display real-time usage. 

A tourist checks out a smart shower room at Lianhua Hill Park in December 2024. Xinhua

These modular facilities incorporate a “tidal” design — an innovative feature that includes two partitioned toilet stalls situated between the men’s and women’s restrooms that can be allocated in real time to either side based on demand.

One of Shenzhen’s new smart public restrooms, featuring modular design and real-time usage displays. Shenzhen Economic Daily

Compared to traditional public restrooms, these smart facilities are quicker to build, more energy-efficient, and effectively eliminate long lines at women’s restrooms during peak hours while men’s restrooms remain underutilized.

Leveraging industrial prefabrication technology, 90% of the construction for these new public restrooms was completed in a factory setting, according to Shenzhen Micro Space Construction Technology Co. Ltd., the developer of the modular restrooms.

On-site, assembly takes only half the time typically required for traditional bathroom construction. Generally, public restroom renovations can take several months to over a year to complete.

Smart public restrooms in Shenzhen are faster to build and more energy-efficient than traditional facilities. Shenzhen Economic Daily

Such smart public health facilities — ranging from portable restrooms and baby care rooms to shower rooms — are rapidly springing up across the city. They can now be found in many locations, from bustling sports venues and serene parks to winding greenways, busy commercial districts, and major transportation hubs.

Shenzhen Metro boasts the world's first indoor mobile restroom, which has garnered an international award for its exceptional cleanliness, lack of odor, and smart disinfection module. In the cargo area of the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, mobile shower rooms and smart restrooms have been installed.

At Shenzhen Bay Park and along the Wutong Mountain Greenway, mobile restrooms are equipped with wind and solar power generation systems. They also include innovative waste resource treatment systems that purify liquids for drip irrigation of green plants and convert solids into organic fertilizers, bringing the zero-carbon circular concept to life along coastal pathways.