Invisible in Plain Sight: Homelessness and Urban Inequality in Downtown San Diego
A Mixed-Methods Analysis Using Digital Ethnography and Big Data Analytics
The Case for Change
The Problem: What, Where, When, Who
**What:** Downtown San Diego, often portrayed as a hub of culture, commerce, and tourism, is also home to one of the region’s most visible homelessness crises. This project examines homelessness not as an individual misfortune but as a product of deliberate spatial, economic, and environmental decisions. Through a mixed-methods approach—combining virtual fieldwork via Google Street View and big data analysis of the city’s 311 reports—Invisible in Plain Sight reveals how urban design and policy shape who gets to belong in public space, and who is pushed out."
**Where:** The study focuses on Downtown San Diego, particularly the East Village, Civic Center, Waterfront, and Commercial Street corridors. These areas offer a stark visual and environmental contrast:
• Waterfront Park & Embarcadero – Landscaped, shaded, and equipped with amenities to attract tourists and residents.
• East Village (14th & Market) – A gentrification epicenter where upscale apartments rise next to encampments.
• Commercial Street & Barrio Logan industrial zones – Minimal shade, poor air quality, and almost no public amenities, yet heavily populated by unhoused residents.
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**When:** Field observations were conducted in 2024, paired with an analysis of all homelessness-related 311 service requests from the same year. Temporal trends revealed spikes in encampment reports immediately before high-profile events such as Comic-Con and Padres games, suggesting targeted displacement efforts to “clean up” public space for visitors.
**Who:** This urban geography affects:
• Unhoused residents – Experiencing daily displacement, environmental exposure, and lack of basic services.
• Local government & law enforcement – Managing homelessness primarily through encampment sweeps and enforcement.
• Business owners & developers – Benefiting from public space investments and redevelopment while often lobbying for stricter enforcement in nearby streets.
• Advocates & nonprofits – Working to fill service gaps, yet constrained by limited resources and restrictive policies.
The Research: Why and How
**Why:** The project is grounded in the understanding that homelessness in San Diego is not accidental—it’s the visible outcome of zoning priorities, redevelopment strategies, and selective sustainability investments. By mapping the absence of shade, restrooms, and clean air in encampment zones, the research exposes how policy choices and urban design perpetuate inequality.
**How:** Using a digital ethnography protocol, the research conducted “virtual walks” through five targeted areas, documenting hostile architecture, amenity scarcity, and environmental hazards. These qualitative observations were paired with a 311 data dashboard that mapped encampment reports, overlaid environmental indicators, and tracked reporting spikes over time. Together, these methods created a layered picture of how space, policy, and public perception intersect to sustain inequality in San Diego’s urban core.
ArcGIS Dashboard Integration: Mapping Inequality in Real Time
The Urban Oasis ArcGIS Dashboard is more than a map—it’s a living, interactive tool that exposes the hidden geography of homelessness in Downtown San Diego. Built from the city’s 2024 311 service request data on homeless encampments, it combines spatial analysis, environmental overlays, and temporal trends into a single platform that makes inequality visible at a glance. What the Dashboard Shows • Encampment Hotspots: Each point represents a 311 report, clustered to reveal areas of concentrated displacement risk. • Environmental Context: Overlays highlight tree cover, shade access, and known urban heat islands—often showing that encampments exist in the most inhospitable zones. • Temporal Trends: A timeline view displays spikes in reporting before high-profile events, suggesting targeted sweeps linked to image management rather than long-term solutions. • Council District Disparities: Side-by-side charts show which districts report most frequently and how resources are allocated in response. Why It Matters The dashboard turns abstract numbers into a clear picture of how public complaints, enforcement patterns, and environmental neglect intersect. This visibility is critical for advocacy, enabling policymakers, journalists, and the public to see the direct spatial and temporal patterns that perpetuate homelessness. How It Supports Advocacy Goals By making the data interactive and publicly accessible, the dashboard: • Empowers stakeholders with clear, location-specific evidence. • Reveals systemic bias in where enforcement occurs versus where public investment flows. • Links local patterns to global standards by aligning findings with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1, 10, and 11).
Project Summary Video
Video Summary (English)
This 6-minute video presentation explains the core problem, our data-driven approach, and the impact we hope to achieve. We walk through our spatial analysis and present a clear path forward for community engagement and policy change.
Resumen del Video (Español)
Esta presentación de 6 minutos explica el problema principal, nuestro enfoque basado en datos y el impacto que esperamos lograr. Analizamos nuestro análisis espacial y presentamos un camino claro para la participación comunitaria y el cambio de políticas.
Data & Analysis Methods
Invisible in Plain Sight is grounded in a commitment to combining the human-scale insights of ethnography with the citywide patterns revealed by data science. This mixed-methods approach ensures that every statistic is rooted in lived experience—and that every observation is backed by measurable evidence.
Methods Used
Key Findings
- Spatial Segregation: Public investment in amenities and green space is heavily concentrated in tourist and business districts, while encampment zones are systematically deprived.
- Event-Driven Displacement: Reporting spikes occurred immediately before major events like Comic-Con, Padres games, and city festivals—often followed by visible encampment sweeps.
- Environmental Injustice: Encampment areas frequently overlap with urban heat islands, lacking shade, clean air, and access to water.
- 311 as an Enforcement Trigger: The data shows a pattern where public reports are closely followed by enforcement actions, reinforcing cycles of displacement rather than resolution.
UN Sustainable Development Goals Alignment
The analysis directly addresses three UN SDGs:
- SDG 1: No Poverty – By documenting how public policy and urban design perpetuate housing insecurity.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – By revealing systemic disparities in infrastructure investment.
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – By calling for inclusive urban design that supports all residents.
Join the Movement: Take Action Now!
Your voice is crucial. We need your help to advocate for a more equitable San Diego.
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About the Project Team
Charles Gottesman
With 20 years of experience as an CEO of a food manufacturing company in San Diego, California. Expertise in optimizing supply chain efficiencies, implementing lean principles, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Experienced in building strong client relationships and delivering exceptional results in highly competitive markets. Now pursuing my Master’s in Big Data Science at SDSU, I’m passionate about leveraging data-driven innovation to advance smart city development, sustainable practices, and community-driven solutions that create lasting impact.
Acknowledgements
We would like to extend our gratitude to our mentors, collaborators at SDSU, and all the community members who shared their stories and insights. This project would not have been possible without their invaluable support.