The murders and suspicious disappearances of women across Canada over the past forty years have received considerable national attention in the past decade. The disappearances and murders of scores of women in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba have highlighted the vulnerability of women to extreme violence. Girls and women of Aboriginal ethnicity have been disproportionally affected in all of these cases and have high rates of violent victimization. The current socio-economic situation faced by Aboriginal women contributes to this. To provide publicly available data of missing and murdered women in Canada, a database was created containing details of 3,329 women, including 824 who are Aboriginal. There are key risk factors that increase the probability of experiencing lethal violence: street prostitution, addiction and insecure housing. The vast majority of sex workers who experience lethal violence are street prostitutes. The dissertation examines the legal status and forms of prostitution in Canada and internationally, as well as the individual and societal impacts of prostitution. A review of current research on violence and prostitution is presented. The thesis provides summaries from 150 serial homicide cases targeting prostitutes in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. The trends and questions posed by these cases are identified. The cases of the missing women of Vancouver and Robert Pickton are detailed. The key findings from the provincial inquiry into the missing women cases and an analysis of the most egregious failings of the investigations (Projects Amelia and Evenhanded) are discussed. Frequently encountered challenges and common errors, as well as investigative opportunities and best practices of police, and other initiatives and recommendations aimed at non-police agencies are evaluated. The three other RCMP-led projects, KARE, DEVOTE and E-PANA, which are large, dedicated units focused on vulnerable women, are assessed. All Canadian women deserve to live free of violence. For women with vulnerable life histories, violence is a daily threat and a common occurrence. More must be done to prevent violence and to hold offenders responsible when violence has been done. This dissertation is a plea for resources and attention; to turn apathy into pragmatic, concrete action founded on solid evidence-based research.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Urban forestry is a very important element of urban structures that can improve the environment and life quality within the urban areas. Having an accurate classification of urban forests and grass areas would help improve focused urban tree planting and urban heat wave mitigation efforts. This research project will compare the use of high – resolution aerial imagery and LiDAR data when used to classify canopy and grass areas. The high – resolution image, with 1 – meter resolution, was captured by The National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) on 6/6/2012. Its coordinate system is the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). The LiDAR data, with 1.0 – meter average post spacing, was captured by Indiana Statewide Imagery and LiDAR Program from 03/13/2011 to 04/30/2012.The study area is called the Near East Side Community Organization (NESCO) neighborhood. It is located on the east side of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Its boundaries are: 65 interstate, East Massachusetts Avenue, East 21st Street, North Emerson Avenue, and the rail road tracks on the south of the East Washington Street. This research will also perform the accuracy assessment based on the results of classifications using high – resolution aerial imagery and LiDAR data in order to determine and explain which method is more accurate to classify urban canopy and grass areas.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The purpose of this study was to locate the most suitable blocks to plant trees within Indianapolis, Indiana’s Near Eastside Community (NESCO). LiDAR data were utilized, with 1.0 meter average post spacing, captured by the Indiana Statewide Imagery and LiDAR Program from March 13, 2011 to April 30, 2012, to conduct a covertype classification and identify blocks that have low canopies, high impervious surfaces and high surface temperatures. Tree plantings in these blocks can help mitigate the effects of the urban heat island effect. Using 2010 U.S. Census demographic data and the principal component analysis, block groups with high social vulnerability were determined, and tree plantings in these locations could help reduce mortality from extreme heat events. This study also determined high and low priority plantable space in order to emphasize plantable spaces with the potential to shade buildings; this can reduce cooling costs and the urban heat island, and it can maximize the potential of each planted tree.