They were more critical than newcomers of elements that had shown recent change, such as the deterioration of their downtown in favor of highway corridor development, and increases in traffic. Length of residency, or the linear model, is not the only source of community commitment, however. For example, in one community, a local college was photographed several times solely by newcomers who are students not at that college, but at nearby Clemson University. Even the college president did not single out his college. We believe REP to be an effective technique for participatory planning.
Visual data is clear and simple.
It offers unlimited selection of community elements. It does not require the laborious linguistic translations of interviews, for example. The camera permits selective and focussed observation. Metaphorically speaking, the camera has a better 'memory' than the human eye. To the old adage that 'the camera never lies,' we urge a cautious approach.