Finally, the end of public urination in the corners of French train stations?

Background

Far from their glamorous and chic image, Parisians are also known for a habit they’ve adopted through the ages: peeing in public. Although illegal, the act is multiplying and the cleanup treatment is expensive.

That train stations, unfortunately hotspots for these incivilities, was not lost on the Nudge Unit of SNCF, whose responsibility it is to think up ways to nudge a desired behavior to improve different aspects of the client experience. La gare des Mureaux was one of the worst cases across the network and something had to be done about it.

Idea

FINALLY, THE END OF PUBLIC URINATION IN THE CORNERS OF FRENCH TRAIN STATIONS ? The creative nudge* that discouraged the act of the peeing in public in the unassuming corners of ‘la gare des Mureaux’ proved its effectiveness and is ready to be deployed in a number of train stations in France.

Shared Catherine Deslisle – Head of the SNCF Transilien Nudge Unit, « The corners of walls inside and outside of ‘la gare des Mureaux’ had become official urinals that passersby and station workers had resigned to live with. » The SNCF Nudge Unit turned to the strategic and creative minds of Ogilvy Paris (specifically the agency's Consulting practice of Behavioral Science), accompanied by social psychology researcher Nicolas Fieulaine of NF Etudes. The goal was to marry behavioral sciences and creativity to find effective solutions to discourage public urination. After several months of observation, reflection and prototyping, and after scientifically demonstrating positive results, the intervention called "Stade des Mureaux" is now ready to be deployed in stations across France.

The creative Nudge ? From Station to Stadium : The Stade des Mureaux The Stade des Mureaux is an athletics track outside the station complete with spectators and stopclock; and large bubble stickers placed in the corner of the walls inside the station, representing life-size athletes playing with exaggerated 3D balls.

Drawing on the French love and respect for all kinds of sports, murals were designed to give the feel of a sports stadium outside the station, complete with life-like spectators and the theme was continued inside with active life-size athletes. An optical treatment of large round bubbles was used to disguise the corners that were being used to pee. The Stade des Mureaux is above all an intervention based on multiple behavioral levers.

When we do not give a particular purpose to a place, we let people decide for themselves how to use it - for example to make it a place to relieve themselves. In this instance, some walls became "accepted" urinals and it becomes difficult or impossible to change the behaviour unless we give a new role to the place in question. In our case, a children’s play area is a very simple way to say to the potential offenders "no, this corner of the wall is not a place to urinate". This is called a framing effect in behavioral sciences, explained Nicolas Fieulaine, Researcher in Social Psychology of NF Etudes.

Since the passersby of la gare des Mureaux seemed resigned to accept that people had the right to urinate on certain walls, there was a need to find a subtle way to remind people that of the norm that it is not acceptable to urinate on the street. And there’s nothing like that than to encourage children to frequent these places, because if there is indeed a social rule accepted by all, it is that we do not urinate in front of children. And when kids are not there, having a footballer or a life-size basketball player staring at you when you want to relieve yourself is another effective way to get people to respect societal rules.

Many isolated corners attract men who need to relieve themselves in an unstoppable and unconscious way. Hence the idea of "erasing" corners, "rounding" them with bubble-shaped stickers, and playing with the illusion of changing its form. Add to that the physical obstacles to make corners less accessible, riskier and more exposed - therefore less attractive.

Results

More than a Nudge utilitarian The Stade des Mureaux showed a 88% reduction ** of public urination over a period of 4 weeks, and a total reduction on the walls outside of the station. The only residual acts took place between 1 am and 6 am, at times when the station is empty, in rare instances. The perception of the station des Mureaux by travelers improved significantly ***. The image of cleanliness (+ 14%), the feeling of unpleasant odors (-34%) or the experience in the station (+ 24%). Concluded Benoit DeFleurian, Principal & Head of Behavioural Science Practice at Ogilvy Paris : The Stade des Mureaux is much more than just an effective nudge.* For when behavioral science meets creativity, nudges * do not just have the utility of changing behavior. They tell stories, they bring life and cheerfulness and they improve the user experience. And this is obviously a key collateral effect for SNCF.