Graduation Semester and Year
Spring 2025
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Planning and Public Policy
Department
Urban and Public Affairs
First Advisor
Dr.Deden Rukmana
Second Advisor
Dr.Austin Allen
Third Advisor
Dr.Oswald Jenewein
Abstract
ABSTRACT
BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES: PUBLIC SPACES AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS
Introduction Today as cities are incorporating technology into their urbanization process, the Digital Divide (DD) is one of the challenges to citizens being able to participate equitably in the society. The DD refers to the difference between the have and have nots to technology use and benefit which creates social and economic inequalities between members of the community where not everyone can benefit from the internet (Third level of DD), thus improve their quality of life through technology.There is little research from an urban planning perspective on the third level of DD and how it impacts low-income communities. Additionally, previous studies compared urban vs rural DD, but limited research examined the urban DD within cities located in urban area (in this research the South Dallas), and the factors that contribute to the gaps in these cities such as the neighborhoods zoning laws, construction of highways and infrastructure fiber. This research aims to explore the gap in literature on how the DD affects low-income communities and how the DD can be bridged using public libraries and public spaces as physical locations for innovative solutions in the City of Dallas.
Methodology This study is a qualitative case study using interviews, NVivo, and content analysis to answer RQ1) How and to what extent is the City of Dallas addressing the third level of DD? RQ2) Can public libraries and public spaces help bridge the third level of DD in the City of Dallas? Results Thematic analysis and content analysis identified three findings; Digital Divide in South Dallas still exists, and lack of urban planning institutionalization of the DD is a main hinder in closing the gap. Moreover, public libraries are the heart of democracy, but their role is diminished due to private sector monopoly power and lack of policies that regulate the private sector. Further, there is missed opportunities of using Kevin Lynch (1960) “Edges” to help bridging the third level of DD in the society in public spaces under the highways that could be developed with internet access, economic opportunities, social spaces to engage and empower the community through Digital Equity (DE).
Conclusion The results of this study emphasize the importance of the interdisciplinaryurban planning field to develop informed solutions and call for a new language of narrative thatsuggest (Architecture, Art, Urban Planning and Design) solutions that are extracted from lessons learned from the history. The study contribution is new in creating innovative interdisciplinary ideas in neglected public spaces such as spaces under highways. The proposed public spaces idea of this research could be replicated in other cities, and policy makers can develop effective policies that focuses on DE from a bottom-up approach. Highways infrastructure should be equipped with internet fibers (which address the first level of DD) to foster an inclusive public space for communities to gather, exchange ideas, and learn from each other (address the second and third level of the DD).
Keywords
Digital Divide, Digital Equity, South Dallas, Public Library, Low income, Public Space, Kevin Lynch, Highways
Disciplines
Urban, Community and Regional Planning
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Nimery, Shadin, "BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES: PUBLIC SPACES AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS" (2025). Public Affairs Dissertations. 234.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/publicaffairs_dissertations/234