Date of Award

2023

Degree Type

Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation

Degree Name

Information Systems and Technology, PhD

Program

Center for Information Systems and Technology

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Brian Hilton

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Yan Li

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Avijit Sarkar

Terms of Use & License Information

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Rights Information

© 2023 Hafsa Aasi

Keywords

Geographic Information Systems, GIS, Homeless, Homelessness, Spatial, Transdisciplinary

Subject Categories

Geographic Information Sciences | Urban Studies and Planning

Abstract

This dissertation follows the three-paper format, studying homelessness from a spatial perspective. The first, introductory chapter in this dissertation investigates the claim that Information System (IS) field is well suited to the study of complex real-world problems such as homelessness due to its inherently transdisciplinary nature. The second chapter in this dissertation investigates the claim that the spatial analysis methods used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), beyond basic mapping, are especially well suited to the study of complex real-world problems such as homelessness that have a spatial dimension. This chapter also fulfills the first paper requirement for this dissertation. The third chapter in this dissertation makes the case for incorporating the place dimension of sustainability, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and spatial analysis into solutions to homelessness for long-lasting results. This chapter also fulfills the second paper requirement for this dissertation. The fourth chapter in this dissertation details the construction of a spatial accessibility index to resources and services for homeless people in Skid Row, Los Angeles. This chapter also fulfills the third paper requirement for this dissertation. The fifth chapter in this dissertation explores the relationship between physical climate and both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in across the United States. The sixth, concluding chapter in this dissertation offers a roadmap to research on complex real-world problems such as homelessness by surveying the literature on homelessness that uses big data, artificial intelligence, geo privacy, blockchain, agent-based modeling, and social network analysis.

ISBN

9798342763370

Available for download on Thursday, November 19, 2026

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