The primary focus of this project tackles the disconnect between the Lafayette College and Easton communities. This problem is inherently expansive; its roots trace back far into the town and college’s relationship, a situation further analyzed in the Social Context section. Due to the problem’s extensive nature, solutions reach far and wide. As this disconnect spawns from a multifaceted relationship, one project will likely not be able to address all of the nuances and angles of such a problem. Nevertheless, this report aims to explore a possible solution to bridge the disconnect between the Lafayette and Easton communities.

In light of our identified problem, our group deliberately resisted adhering to the confines of an explicitly  technical or non-technical approach. Instead, we determined key elements on which to focus our solution. First, the scope of our work is limited by the fact that our proposed solution would incorporate the Karl Stirner Arts Trail (KSAT). However, this physical restriction is more clear cut than the ideological criteria. First, the solution needs to connect the Easton community to Lafayette; this element directly addresses the problem of a disconnect between the Lafayette and Easton communities. Second, our approach needs to provide an artistic contribution to the trail; our group aims to cohesively weave our solution into the ethos of the KSAT. To this end, an artistic contribution would be integral to this coherence of identity. Last, our solution aims to allow Lafayette students to feel like they are a part of the trail. This final point will be parsed out in full in the Social Context and Political Context as details are specified.

As our group outlined what our solution needed to address, we turned to a proposed project on the horizons of the KSAT Board’s agenda: a pedestrian footbridge. Subsequently, this report revolves around the feasibility of building a footbridge over the Bushkill Creek on the KSAT.

Figure 1: Map of the Karl Stirner Arts Trail

As shown in the above in Figure 1, this footbridge would be placed beside the existing dog park, with the bridge connecting one side of the trail to the area where an auto-dealership currently resides. This location was taken from recommendations from Jim Toia, Chairman of the KSAT Board, and lends itself to a greater development and expansion of the area.  

In order to drive this work, our group began with a question: how could a footbridge address the disconnect between Lafayette and Easton and facilitate the identity of the KSAT? We deliberately chose this open-ended question in order to let our research drive our results and to allow our group to fully explore the pros and cons of a footbridge on the KSAT. With this approach, our group equally considers a no-bridge option, implicit in the question. In other words, our group is not making the assumption that a footbridge will necessarily address the given problem or is the best solution to the given problem. Instead, by parsing out the social context, political context, technical analysis and economic analysis, our group hopes to demonstrate the merits and drawbacks of building a bridge on the KSAT. We hope that the next group to inherit this capstone project will be able to look at our report and understand whether or not to continue exploring a footbridge as a feasible option for the city. Furthermore, our group will be providing recommendations throughout our report, in an effort to optimize the positive impact of a footbridge.

In order to properly address our question, both the disconnect between the Lafayette and Easton communities and the identity of the KSAT need to be fully understood. While the former will be parsed out within the Social Context section, the latter will be outlined here, as the KSAT is fundamental to most, if not all, of the following analysis. Physically, the trail runs 2.5 miles beside the Bushkill Creek and contains various and rotating art installations, ranging from sculptures, murals, and light installations. Metaphorically, the trail runs as an artery through the heart of Easton, providing a shared space for the Lafayette and Easton communities. According to the KSAT’s website, “the KSAT aspires to define and commemorate the City of Easton’s commitment to the arts and become a national destination for art and nature lovers alike” (Karl Stirner Arts Trail, 2017). Similarly, the website comments that “environmental sustainability and public stewardship of an urban ‘green infrastructure’ are defining factors in the philosophy of the Arts Trail” (Karl Stirner Arts Trail, 2017). With these statements, the KSAT clearly defines two of its defining values: the arts and sustainability. Subsequently, our group prioritized these elements when considering the feasibility of a footbridge and then how these components could be incorporated into a solution.

Figure 2: Outline of the Karl Stirner Arts Trail

Apart from the physical description of the trail, the placement of the trail equally plays a role in this project. Here, placement refers both the geographical context and the temporal context of the trail. In terms of geography, the KSAT is bookended by the Silk Mill and the new Bushkill campus. Temporally, both of these projects are looking to the future with their development plans. The Silk Mill Revitalization project is aiming to rebuild an area of Easton and will continue to become more prominent in the upcoming years. Likewise, the new Bushkill Campus at Lafayette is part of the college’s new expansion plan for the next few years. Geographically, the KSAT is placed between these forward-looking projects, thereby granting it the opportunity to connect these developing areas. Uniquely placed, the KSAT provides a bridge that would potentially bring these two developments closer in multiple ways. Looking towards the future, this project could represent a foundation for these two new developing areas of the community.

Though the KSAT provides an opportune space, conducting a feasibility study of a footbridge did not present without challenges. First, a footbridge is a fundamentally vague solution. Our group deliberately used an ambiguous definition to allow for the most flexibility in our analysis and to leave as many options open for the future of the footbridge. However, this same ambiguity that allows us flexibility simultaneously poses a significant challenge; the lack of specificity makes a detailed economic and technical proposal difficult. To this end, our group uses the Economic and Technical Analysis sections to outline the possibilities and options available. Then, in order to ease this trial of ambiguity, our group made several concrete decisions to minimize complexity. For example, the KSAT Board has expressed their desire to place a footbridge at the corner of the trail, across from the dog park. Our group was originally wary of this position due to its proximity to an existing bridge, but ultimately conceded this location, as this location lends itself to a larger redesign of the area, which will be discussed in the Conclusion. As a result, our group could focus more on the design of the bridge and simultaneously eliminate a variable: location.

Another challenge our group faced was balancing the physical elements of a footbridge. As a result, our group chose three main physical criteria to consider while working on our project: sustainability, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. Sustainability can be achieved in a multiplicity of ways: through sustainable materials, through the implementation of photovoltaic cells to power a light installation, or through a consideration of the community’s future needs. Furthermore, this element of sustainability reflects the environmental ethos of the KSAT. In terms of functionality, a footbridge needs to be physically reliant, otherwise it will be a danger to the surrounding communities. In terms of aesthetics, the artistic aspect of the footbridge will need to fit into the mission of the trail: “advancing civic dialogue and infusing the community with creative capital, so as to bolster economic revitalization and foster civic and cultural pride” (Karl Stirner Arts Trail, 2011). The synthesis of these three elements, sustainability, functionality and aesthetic appeal, will be integral to a successful footbridge design. To this end, our group is recommending that the footbridge, regardless of the specifics of its design, is not merely a footbridge, but instead provides educational, sustainable and aesthetic components. Subsequently, our group suggests a footbridge similar to the one shown below.

Figure 3: Mock-Up of a Bridge

The following analysis, divided into four sections, provides our group’s research and subsequent recommendations. First, our Social Context addresses three central contexts that together, craft a holistic understanding of the footbridge; these three contexts are public space, public art, and town-gown relationships. Second, our Political Context delves into understanding the preexisting discourse surrounding the footbridge. Specifically, the three stakeholders of the project are explored: Lafayette College, Easton, and the KSAT Board. Third, our Economic Analysis, provides the reader with preliminary research into the direct and recurring costs a footbridge would incur. Furthermore, the footbridge’s return on investment is explored. Last, our Technical Analysis explores the materials, sustainability and space that the footbridge would include. Holistically, these four sections aim to satisfy our goal of providing our audience with cohesive and coordinated material to make an informed next step. Subsequently, our Conclusion provides a synthesis of our recommendations.