SDSU Showcases SDHEART Research and GeoAI Innovation at Esri User Conference 2026
From July 13 to 17, 2026, San Diego State University faculty, researchers, and students participated in the 2026 Esri User Conference, held at the San Diego Convention Center in downtown San Diego, California. The conference highlighted the latest developments in geographic information systems (GIS), artificial intelligence, spatial analysis, and location-based decision-making.
The exhibit highlighted the San Diego Homelessness and Health Equity Research Team (SDHEART) and its project funded by the National Science Foundation. The project aims to examine the social, environmental, and geographic factors associated with homelessness and the movement of unhoused populations in San Diego County. In March 2026, Esri’s ArcWatch newsletter published an article titled “Geospatial Technology Transforms Research on Homelessness in San Diego County.” Led by San Diego State University faculty and researchers, this interdisciplinary project combines geospatial artificial intelligence, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, surveys, interviews, and large spatial datasets to identify changing patterns of homelessness. The team uses ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS Experience Builder, ArcGIS Survey123, and ArcGIS Pro to manage data, visualize changes, support community outreach, and provide information that can guide targeted services and data-driven policy decisions.
At the Esri User Conference, two SDHEART-related papers were presented. Dr. Gabriela Fernandez, Dr. Audrey Beck, Sam, Olivia, Alexandra, and Jill presented the study titled “Bridging Data and Dignity: Data-Driven Insights into the Unhoused Community in San Diego, California.” Dr. Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Tim, and Craig presented the study titled “Using ArcGIS Dashboard to Visualize Dynamic Changes in the Homeless Population.”
These presentations and the ArcWatch feature demonstrate San Diego State University’s continued commitment to applying Big Data, GeoAI, and community-engaged research to address important regional challenges. We thank the faculty, students, collaborators, and visitors who supported this project and participated in the 2026 Esri User Conference.
