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.
This is hostile architecture. Build toilets instead.
Reminds me of this scene from The Naked Gun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybpKmNN61rc
This is such a first world problem lol. There is so much vegetation in my underdeveloped country for people to pee in that this is practically unheard of.
no public facilities, only punishment for bodily functionsDoes that really work? I get the impression that people would go pee on that wall just to see it bounce.
It’s probably just a teflon spray on coating that prevents the pee from soaking into the wall. The rest is marketing.
If we ripped the car sewers out of our streets we could probably have enough green space that it would just, ya know, soak in. But go ahead and spend public money on technogimmicks I guess.
we could at least have plenty of public toilets in the freed up space
“Unforgettable justice” is a bit dramatic for some pee splash.
just have public toilets my god
I’ll piss right on the ground, fuck it. Der Strom lässt sich nicht aufhalten!
New? Anti pee architecture has always been a thing, nanotech might be new but if you see diagonal wall attachments that’s what they are for
anybody who thinks this would work has never pissed before, people would just bow their legs a little or pee at an angle
or like, piss on the ground
ive honestly never understood the desire to piss against a wall or tree or whatever, except for a little bit of privacy when you’re around other people like when camping.
have you looked at the way dogs (especially male dogs) pick spots to pee on? i’ve always felt like i undertood. they were spots to pee on. it’s only reasonable to then pee on them.
i think there’s a bit of that mammalian nonsense working inside us, so we like picking something to piss on, or piss off of, or piss into, or whatever.
well pissing on the tree gives it valuable nitrogen
Right? No better feeling than pissing off a bridge
That’s what we call my uncle’s wife who likes light green walls. We spell it different though.
Victorians did it
Because they don’t think men know how to pee at an angle?
have these public urinators offended me? what justice do I seek?
