If the mark of a successful city is how well it provides for basic human needs, Philadelphia, like many other major cities, falls short. Those in Center City have more options, with restrooms in retail and other private institutions that other neighborhoods don’t have access to. That imbalance suggests that only the privileged few can access a clean and functioning restroom. The hep A outbreak raises the stakes for the lack of facilities throughout the city. It should also raise the alarm that the city should grapple with this issue on a wider scale.