An architect in Chicago, acknowledging all of these problems, is designing and advocating for private gender-neutral bathrooms — essentially a row of individual toilet stalls with doors that open onto a common area where everyone can wash their hands and check the mirror to see if they have any lettuce between their teeth.

Unisex bathrooms like this are cheaper to construct, offer users more privacy and safety and take up less space, said architect Matt Nardella, who owns Moss Design. Plus, there’s more “line equity” — never again will you have to wait in line with a hoard of women while the guys get to go and move on with their lives.

Here’s a rendering of a unisex public bathroom Nardella’s firm designed for a Chicago restaurant (the ADA stalls are designed to be accessible to people with physical disabilities)…