Media & Communication Department
Courtney Russell
Public Space: Service on the Rise
The Great Allentown Fair, Cedar Beach, and the Spanish War Veterans
Monument are all examples of "public space" we may interact
with as residents of Allentown. One pubic space of particular intrigue
for myself was the LANTA bus system. During my research, I was able
to analyze the system as a whole by riding the bus, meeting with
the Executive Director, and interviewing regular riders of the bus.
Questions explored were ones such as "What transportation needs
does LANTA meet?" "What greater environmental concerns
does this system address?", and "What is the relationship
between customers and the company?" Robert Coles and his book
Doing Documentary Work proved to be of particular importance, as
he suggests to his readers that personal experiences are often shaped
by social factors. I therefore also explored my position as a documentary
researcher considering whether or not I agreed with Coles. Overall,
this project allowed for important truths to be uncovered about
an extremely effective and efficient form of convenience, or even
necessity to many. It also provided a means for personally considering
whether or not I brought biases to the situation as a researcher,
in turn shaping my agenda and interpretations.