Authored by: Lafayette College EGRS 451 group (Christa Martinez, Elena Niemi, and Darrell Washington)
Date: Spring 2013
Course Instructor: Professor Cohen
Abstract: This project’s main research question was: How can we connect the Lafayette community and Easton community through post industrial spaces? Specifically, the project examined the lack of unity between the Lafayette and Easton community. Our project aims to break down the barrier between the two communities in order to increase overall communication. In order to do so information needed to be obtained to find what the people within Easton value, and this was done through art and the examination of the post-industrial landscape of Easton. Most of the project’s information was obtained from historical data regarding Easton and research on other post-industrial communities that value art. Our project’s interactive quality was influenced through an interest in art and was used to facilitate a conversation within the Easton area. Information regarding what the people residing in Easton would like to see in the future was obtained through an interactive activity that was followed with a more specific survey at the Easton Farmer’s Market. The project’s conclusion, which is summarized in the memo, was that the citizens of Easton and some students highly value education, culture, community centers, and small businesses for the surrounding area in which they reside in more so than other qualities. For the future, we hope that students can utilize our results to begin to implement ideas expressed by the public into some of the abandoned industrial sites within Easton.
Tags: EGRS 451, Spring 2013, arts, Easton, community