Design is all about striking a balance between practicality and aesthetics. That sentiment is even more true for public spaces: functionality might trump the visuals of a space. Sadly, not every designer sticks to these core principles, hence why we sometimes get questionable but hilarious fails.
This time, we've put together a list of the most disappointing design decisions in public places that might have many of you asking: "Who came up with this?" Bathrooms with no doors, non-functioning recycling trashcans, seats with a blocked view, and other absurd fails await you down below!
#1 Every Waste Can In This Entire Major City's Hospital Is A Lie
Image credits: thefreakychild
#2 If Only There Was A Way To Number Apartments So You Can Tell What Floor They Are On
Image credits: deep_fried_guineapig
#3 Those Are Stairs
Image credits: mbok_jamu
Access to public spaces for people differs around the world. According to the UN, Europe boasts the biggest share of the population (70.73%) that has access to open public places. Oceania comes in second place with 68.79% of people having convenient access to shared spaces.
North America is doing pretty well: they're above the world average of 44.21% with 56.84% of spaces being conveniently available to the public. Developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Northern Africa, and Asia have it slightly worse, placing below the world's average.
#4 This Is The Inside Of The Bathroom Door At A Bar In NYC. After Some Cocktails, It Is Impossible To Pick The Right One On The First Try
Image credits: jwstoner86
#5 Accessibility Ramp At The Resort I’m Staying At In Mexico
There are a bunch of other awful ramps around the premises, but this is definitely the worst one.
Image credits: Boring_Customer4982
#6 Braille Script Instead Of Being Embossed, Is Just Printed In Vande Bharat
Serving no purpose at all. What kind of people are taking decisions for Indian Railways?
Image credits: lemniscaterr
It's strange when we think about how much we and our moods are influenced by the environments we're in. Apparently, visually unpleasant environments can make us feel more lonely. A 2024 report by the UK's Centre for Social Justice, for example, revealed that ugly buildings contribute to the epidemic of loneliness.
The respondents in their survey claimed that architects and city planners don't know what the local people really want. And they want green spaces; three-fifths of people with access to green spaces said they never felt lonely. And two-fifths thought that urban planners aren't designing public spaces with community spirit in mind.
#7 Waiting Room At Pediatric Clinic Has Toys Secured Behind Plexiglass For Display Only - No Actual Toys For The Kids To Play With
Image credits: choirdudematt
#8 I Saw This At My School
Image credits: Frezzi54
#9 "That's What's Missing - A Ceiling Mirror! Why Hasn't Anyone Thought Of This Before?"
Image credits: TheNMP
The senior researcher at CSJ, Josh Nicholson, said the the UK government's new policy to build 1.5 million new homes should take into consideration that people want more communal and green spaces. "The country urgently needs more homes, but this should not mean cutting corners, degrading the built environment, or concreting over green community space," he observed.
#10 Useless Access Ramp In A Dubai Shopping Mall
Image credits: Viper-S15
#11 The Way These Pictures Are Hung In The Hallway At Work
Image credits: NotKay
#12 Dublin Airport Didn't Think This Through
Image credits: TheBampollo
In the U.S., people also believe that good public spaces should have a positive influence on people's mental health. Approximately 86% of the respondents in the State of Community Facility Design survey said that mental health and wellness should be a high priority in the design of community buildings.
#13 There Is A Door In The Ceiling Of Our School. No One Knows Where It Goes (Including Teachers And Janitors), No One Has Ever Used It. It Mysteriously Opened A Few Days Ago, And No One Knows How. You Can’t See Anything In It, It’s Just Darkness. No One Has An Explanation. Our School Is 98 Years Old
Image credits: House_turtles
#14 This Clubs Toilets Have No Doors
Image credits: Kakazam
#15 No Need To Measure ... This Also Isn't A Installation Problem It Appears Multiple Times Throughout The University
Image credits: izzybee799
So, what do public spaces need in order to be successful? The Project for Public Spaces has a few ideas. They offer some features that a public place should have for it to be functional, aesthetically pleasing, and well-liked among the people who are using it. Let's go over some of them.
#16 It Took Me Five Minutes To Figure Out How To Activate The Water (You Had To Spin The Golden Tip)
Image credits: reddit.com
#17 My School Tried To Make The Staircase To The Cafeteria Accessible To Wheelchair Users
Image credits: Tuomas_Kiituri
#18 The Nonsensical Placement Of These Lights In This Classroom
Image credits: Fiftydollarvolvo
They start with places to sit. Nowadays, many public spaces use hostile architecture to deter people from sitting or sleeping there. Others are planned poorly, with no places to sit in the shade or the sun (depending on the climate), not near a playground, and not close enough to other activities. A good public space should have all these things, allowing people to sit down and spend some time there.
#19 When Booking My Ticket, I Was Told I Might Have A Slightly Restricted View. ‘Slightly’ Is A Bit Of An Understatement
Image credits: broccoliboi989
#20 You Could Have At Least Put The Bowl Under The Faucet
Image credits: george76904
#21 My Hotel's "Pool Area"
Image credits: Johnoplata
A good public space should also have a place for people to gather around. That can be a food cart, some seating, or even a bus stop. The PPS gives the Parc de la Villette in Paris as a bad example; the seats force people to sit far away from each other, and the signs ask them not to climb the sculpture. A good gathering place should have food, activities, and lots of places to sit.
#22 “Shall We Cut The Wall Or Remove The Fan?” “No”
Image credits: godzillasfinger
#23 This Stunning Mural Painted In My School Was Covered Up By Lockers Recently
Image credits: nottheeskimo
#24 The Wallpaper In The Women's Restroom At The Hotel I'm Staying At
Image credits: hybridginger
People decide if they want to enter a public space depending on its entrance. If it's narrow, not inviting, and you can't see what's inside, you likely won't want to come in. Bryant Park in New York City, for example, has coffee and sandwich kiosks at the entrance, making it that much more inviting. You can also see the inside of the park from the street, so you're more inclined to come in.
#25 This Sink Drips Water Like Rain, It Is All One Pipe With Holes So If One Person Uses It Wastes Enough Water For 5 People And Doesn’t Even Provide A Steady Stream
Image credits: Toxic_Don
#26 This Bathroom Floor
Image credits: joopy_boi
#27 All Public Restrooms In America Seem To Be Like This - Why Bother Having A Door If It Doesn’t Cover You?
This isn’t the worst I’ve seen/used. I’m just tired of it and mildly infuriated.
Image credits: thinkIgotitbutIdont
There's much to be said about how car-dominant cities are nowadays. However, the experts at the PPS note that a good public space shouldn't be dominated by vehicles and traffic. Streets have to have crosswalks, and not be too wide, and people need to be able to cross them comfortably, even if they have to wait for a little while.
#28 Men's Room Door At A Local Hospital. I Had To Turn Sideways To Get In, I Am Not A Large Man
Image credits: reddit.com
#29 "Microwave Ovens" Sign At My Local Electronics Store
Image credits: timejumper13
#30 Found This At My College
Image credits: Bossome5916
What public design features get a rise out of you most, Pandas? Do you see any of them on this list? Share your thoughts on public space design with us in the comments! And while you're here, don't forget to check out our previous posts about questionable design choices for communal spaces here, here, and here!
#31 My Grocery Store Removed The “Minute Clinic” And Replaced It With Video Slot Machines
Image credits: CheeseheadDave
#32 This Is Apparently A Clean Wash Basin
Image credits: Won_dream
#33 This Ceiling Fan In My Classroom
Image credits: ErrorACOGNotFound
#34 Imagine Spending $300 For NFL Tickets, Just To Sit Behind A Pillar
Image credits: PapaAleks
#35 The Alignment Of The Panels In This Elevator
Image credits: Inamanlyfashion
#36 ‘My Job Is To Build Walls Not Move Screens’
Image credits: Sobek188
#37 Cameras In Locker Room
Image credits: Milky-Chance
#38 Both Of These Overlapping Tvs Have The Volume On In The Hospital Waiting Room
Image credits: Cotton-Collar
#39 Remodeled Bathroom At Work. I Guess There Wasn't A Better Place To Put The Full Size Mirror
Image credits: Cool_Atmosphere_9038
#40 My School Doesn't Have Stall Doors
Image credits: Gazers22
