This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Dr. Charisma Acey
City and Regional Planning, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-5800, USA

Basic Info


Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Environmental Justice
0 Food Security
0 Public Participation
0 Social Equity
0 Climate justice

Fingerprints

Food Security

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Articles
Published: 17 November 2019 in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Despite a growing civic movement to create spaces for urban agriculture (UA) in U.S. cities, public investment remains both inequitable and inadequate to support the diverse practices and practitioners growing food locally. As a result, outcomes of UA initiatives are uneven, ad hoc, and often the result of resistance and concerted advocacy. This is due, in part, to agriculture not being a standard urban land use designation or central focus of urban policymaking, despite decades of research demonstrating health, food, environmental and educational benefits of growing food in cities. Agroecology is a robust framework for urban food justice advocates and policymakers in the U.S. to identify synergistic ecological, socio-cultural and economic benefits of UA. In this paper, we analyze survey responses from 35 East Bay urban farms through an agroecology lens, documenting how the diverse farms form part of a fragile system that produces important spaces of food, community, health, and culture. With land use and affordability challenges rising in contexts like San Francisco Bay Area, we contend that urban agroecology as both scientific mode of inquiry and set of agricultural practices can improve urban food research-action projects aiming to protect urban farms as vital city infrastructure.

ACS Style

Alana Bowen Siegner; Charisma Acey; Jennifer Sowerwine. Producing urban agroecology in the East Bay: from soil health to community empowerment. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 2019, 44, 566 -593.

AMA Style

Alana Bowen Siegner, Charisma Acey, Jennifer Sowerwine. Producing urban agroecology in the East Bay: from soil health to community empowerment. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 2019; 44 (5):566-593.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alana Bowen Siegner; Charisma Acey; Jennifer Sowerwine. 2019. "Producing urban agroecology in the East Bay: from soil health to community empowerment." Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 44, no. 5: 566-593.

Journal article
Published: 30 November 2018 in World Development
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Most residents of the developing world do not have access to safely managed sanitation services, and large financial investments are required to address this need. Here we evaluate surcharges on water/sewerage tariffs as an option for supporting these investments in low-income neighborhoods. We investigated willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a pro-poor sanitation surcharge among customers of two urban water utilities in Kenya. Applying qualitative and quantitative methods, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews, focus-group discussions, and a double-bounded contingent valuation method for measuring WTP. We varied scenarios quasi-experimentally to study the effects of messaging and surcharge characteristics and evaluated factors associated with WTP. Our study finds that mean WTP was 290 KES (USD 2.9) per month, about 8% of the average water bill; median WTP was 100 KES (USD 1). In a multivariate analysis, WTP was significantly higher among customers that were younger, wealthier, shared toilets, and had higher water bills. WTP was also higher among customers that trusted the utility and distrusted the county government. Of our randomized scenarios, only the bill type was found to significantly influence WTP; WTP was higher if the surcharge was presented as a proportion of the customers’ last water bill vs a flat amount. Our findings suggest that in a sector that struggles to provide universal access to sanitation services, cross-subsidies may offer a means to support financing of safe sanitation for low-income households. These results indicate there are opportunities for cross-subsidies in urban Kenya that may be relevant for a wider understanding of surcharge payments that support basic services for low-income citizens.

ACS Style

Charisma Acey; Joyce Kisiangani; Patrick Ronoh; Caroline Delaire; Evelyn Makena; Guy Norman; David Levine; Ranjiv Khush; Rachel Peletz. Cross-subsidies for improved sanitation in low income settlements: Assessing the willingness to pay of water utility customers in Kenyan cities. World Development 2018, 115, 160 -177.

AMA Style

Charisma Acey, Joyce Kisiangani, Patrick Ronoh, Caroline Delaire, Evelyn Makena, Guy Norman, David Levine, Ranjiv Khush, Rachel Peletz. Cross-subsidies for improved sanitation in low income settlements: Assessing the willingness to pay of water utility customers in Kenyan cities. World Development. 2018; 115 ():160-177.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey; Joyce Kisiangani; Patrick Ronoh; Caroline Delaire; Evelyn Makena; Guy Norman; David Levine; Ranjiv Khush; Rachel Peletz. 2018. "Cross-subsidies for improved sanitation in low income settlements: Assessing the willingness to pay of water utility customers in Kenyan cities." World Development 115, no. : 160-177.

Review
Published: 22 August 2018 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The aim of our review is to critically analyze the urban agriculture and urban food systems literature in order to understand the impact of urban-produced foods on community food security. We examine the role of city planning, food policy, and civic engagement in creating spaces for urban agriculture in cities across the United States, and whether (and how) these spaces promote food justice and food security. Bringing together multidisciplinary literature on access to urban agriculture and the distribution of urban-produced foods in a thematic, systematic review, we point out gaps in the academic research that would benefit from further study. The review integrates academic literature generated from Web of Science searches with gray literature identified through Google Alerts. We find that while there is a strong focus on elucidating the multiple benefits of urban agriculture, there are few studies that robustly measure the impact of urban farms on improving food security in low-income communities. Much of the literature is theoretical, focused on the production potential of urban agriculture, while more work is needed to understand and overcome barriers to access and distribution among communities in need. We conclude with a set of recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who seek to create spaces in cities for food justice, equity, access, and sovereignty.

ACS Style

Alana Siegner; Jennifer Sowerwine; Charisma Acey. Does Urban Agriculture Improve Food Security? Examining the Nexus of Food Access and Distribution of Urban Produced Foods in the United States: A Systematic Review. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2988 .

AMA Style

Alana Siegner, Jennifer Sowerwine, Charisma Acey. Does Urban Agriculture Improve Food Security? Examining the Nexus of Food Access and Distribution of Urban Produced Foods in the United States: A Systematic Review. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (9):2988.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alana Siegner; Jennifer Sowerwine; Charisma Acey. 2018. "Does Urban Agriculture Improve Food Security? Examining the Nexus of Food Access and Distribution of Urban Produced Foods in the United States: A Systematic Review." Sustainability 10, no. 9: 2988.

Book chapter
Published: 05 October 2016 in Women's emancipation and civil society organisations
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This collection examines the nexus between the emancipation of women, and their role(s) in civil service organisations. It covers the role of social media in or...

ACS Style

Charisma Acey. Sustainability from the bottom up:. Women's emancipation and civil society organisations 2016, 157 -182.

AMA Style

Charisma Acey. Sustainability from the bottom up:. Women's emancipation and civil society organisations. 2016; ():157-182.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey. 2016. "Sustainability from the bottom up:." Women's emancipation and civil society organisations , no. : 157-182.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2016 in Landscape and Urban Planning
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Charisma Acey. Managing wickedness in the Niger Delta: Can a new approach to multi-stakeholder governance increase voice and sustainability? Landscape and Urban Planning 2016, 154, 102 -114.

AMA Style

Charisma Acey. Managing wickedness in the Niger Delta: Can a new approach to multi-stakeholder governance increase voice and sustainability? Landscape and Urban Planning. 2016; 154 ():102-114.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey. 2016. "Managing wickedness in the Niger Delta: Can a new approach to multi-stakeholder governance increase voice and sustainability?" Landscape and Urban Planning 154, no. : 102-114.

Book chapter
Published: 10 May 2016 in Women's Emancipation and Civil Society Organisations
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This chapter examines the roles of women as architects and agents of social change in the environmentally degraded Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Oil revenues account for the majority of Nigeria’s GDP, yet the Niger Delta is among the least developed and improved regions of Nigeria. Efforts by women at all levels have led to a slow but growing awareness that real solutions to the environmental and social crisis must explicitly address how a violent, corrupt oil economy has impacted women’s roles as caregivers and providers in the household and in society, and the need for women to play a central role in public decision-making and reforms.

ACS Style

Charisma Acey. Sustainability from the bottom up: women as change agents in the Niger Delta. Women's Emancipation and Civil Society Organisations 2016, 1 .

AMA Style

Charisma Acey. Sustainability from the bottom up: women as change agents in the Niger Delta. Women's Emancipation and Civil Society Organisations. 2016; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey. 2016. "Sustainability from the bottom up: women as change agents in the Niger Delta." Women's Emancipation and Civil Society Organisations , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 12 April 2014 in Sustainable Cities and Society
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This paper presents a case study of urban neighborhood redevelopment facilitated by an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort between university faculty/students, community partners, and local organizations/agencies. The target area is Linden Village, a Columbus neighborhood experiencing the same sprawl-driven population loss and economic decline facing many inner city communities in the United States. In this case, local redevelopment is hampered by the deteriorating environment. Moreover, old houses without proper maintenance, repairs, and upgrades are subjected to elevated energy use, high utility costs, and poor environmental quality, placing a burden on remaining residents. The project seeks to increase community awareness of and involvement in sustainable housing and neighborhood development. Activities include identifying community development priorities, conducting a neighborhood health assessment, providing technical assistance and on-the-job training for local residents in green home rehabilitation and new construction, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based mapping for neighborhood development and economic growth. Findings from this project provide baseline results for more wide-ranging studies and facilitate informed decision making for the creation of healthy and sustainable urban environments.

ACS Style

Q. Chen; C. Acey; J.J. Lara. Sustainable Futures for Linden Village: A model for increasing social capital and the quality of life in an urban neighborhood. Sustainable Cities and Society 2014, 14, 359 -373.

AMA Style

Q. Chen, C. Acey, J.J. Lara. Sustainable Futures for Linden Village: A model for increasing social capital and the quality of life in an urban neighborhood. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2014; 14 ():359-373.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Q. Chen; C. Acey; J.J. Lara. 2014. "Sustainable Futures for Linden Village: A model for increasing social capital and the quality of life in an urban neighborhood." Sustainable Cities and Society 14, no. : 359-373.

Articles
Published: 14 January 2013 in Local Environment
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This article examines the potential contribution of household scale off-grid renewable energy generation to the post-carbon economy. The large-scale focus of the green jobs agenda in high-income countries obscures how small-scale technologies can be a transformative source of employment in developing economies. Debates about what constitutes a green job and their value leaves out the everyday practice of green livelihoods carried out by the urban poor across the African continent in unfavourable institutional contexts where nonrenewable fuel is subsidised and renewable energy inputs are heavily taxed. The article presents experiences from field work in several countries, including Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya to provide practical examples of communities pursuing strategies of income generation, community empowerment and environmental preservation. We argue that scholars and practitioners concerned with both social justice and environmental preservation should embrace a definition of green jobs that is bottom-up or people-centred. The grassroots experiences highlighted illustrate the important role of non-governmental organisations in supporting transformative, locally sustainable green employment and livelihoods by piloting demonstration projects, fostering innovation, conducting research, forming coalitions and engaging in advocacy when local institutions and market conditions make both consumers and providers risk averse to off-grid renewable energy adoption.

ACS Style

Charisma Shont'e Acey; Thomas H. Culhane. Green jobs, livelihoods and the post-carbon economy in African cities. Local Environment 2013, 18, 1046 -1065.

AMA Style

Charisma Shont'e Acey, Thomas H. Culhane. Green jobs, livelihoods and the post-carbon economy in African cities. Local Environment. 2013; 18 (9):1046-1065.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Shont'e Acey; Thomas H. Culhane. 2013. "Green jobs, livelihoods and the post-carbon economy in African cities." Local Environment 18, no. 9: 1046-1065.

Proceedings article
Published: 14 November 2012 in ICSDEC 2012
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This paper presents a case study of urban neighborhood redevelopment facilitated by an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort between university faculty/students, community partners, and local organizations/agencies. The target area is Linden Village, a Columbus neighborhood experiencing the same sprawl-driven population loss and economic decline facing many inner city communities in the United States. In this case, local redevelopment is hampered by the deteriorating environment. Moreover, old houses without proper maintenance, repairs, and upgrades are subjected to elevated energy use, high utility costs, and poor environmental quality. The project seeks to increase community awareness of and involvement in sustainable housing and neighborhood development through community-defined development priorities, neighborhood health assessment, GIS-based mapping for neighborhood development and economic growth, and on-the-job training for local residents in green home rehabilitation. Findings will provide baseline results for more wide-ranging studies and facilitate informed decision-making for the creation of healthy and sustainable urban environments.

ACS Style

Q. Chen; Charisma Acey; Jesus J. Lara. Sustainable Futures for Linden Village: A Model for Rehabilitation and Sustainable Development of Urban Neighborhoods. ICSDEC 2012 2012, 163 -170.

AMA Style

Q. Chen, Charisma Acey, Jesus J. Lara. Sustainable Futures for Linden Village: A Model for Rehabilitation and Sustainable Development of Urban Neighborhoods. ICSDEC 2012. 2012; ():163-170.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Q. Chen; Charisma Acey; Jesus J. Lara. 2012. "Sustainable Futures for Linden Village: A Model for Rehabilitation and Sustainable Development of Urban Neighborhoods." ICSDEC 2012 , no. : 163-170.

Journal article
Published: 28 September 2012 in Water History
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The history of pipe-borne water supply in urban areas of Nigeria, such as Benin City, illustrates how critical decisions affecting land tenure, residential segregation, and public investment in water supply laid the foundations for present-day inequality. In cities across the world, millions lack access to potable water. Networked infrastructure does not change at the same pace as political leaders or discourse around development. Colonial government decisions made under prevailing ideologies impact present day-water systems. The purpose of this paper is to show how such choices marked the start of disparate and inadequate investments in piped water needed to serve a growing city. This is attempted through an exploration of two critical periods in the city’s history that affected subsequent public water provision—the introduction of piped water along the Ogba River leading to water rate protests that ended in 1939 and the commissioning of a new waterworks along the Ikpoba River in 1987. The colonial legacy of unequal distribution of services continued throughout the postcolonial period and into the present day, in which universal provision of basic services has not been achieved.

ACS Style

Charisma Acey. Forbidden waters: colonial intervention and the evolution of water supply in Benin City, Nigeria. Water History 2012, 4, 215 -229.

AMA Style

Charisma Acey. Forbidden waters: colonial intervention and the evolution of water supply in Benin City, Nigeria. Water History. 2012; 4 (3):215-229.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey. 2012. "Forbidden waters: colonial intervention and the evolution of water supply in Benin City, Nigeria." Water History 4, no. 3: 215-229.

Review article
Published: 24 October 2010 in Public Works Management & Policy
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Charisma Acey. Book Review: Alam, M. (Ed.). (2010). Municipal Infrastructure Financing: Innovative Practices From Developing Countries. Commonwealth Secretariat Local Government Reform Series Number 2. London, England: Commonwealth Secretariat. 142 pp. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-84929-003-6. Public Works Management & Policy 2010, 15, 137 -141.

AMA Style

Charisma Acey. Book Review: Alam, M. (Ed.). (2010). Municipal Infrastructure Financing: Innovative Practices From Developing Countries. Commonwealth Secretariat Local Government Reform Series Number 2. London, England: Commonwealth Secretariat. 142 pp. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-84929-003-6. Public Works Management & Policy. 2010; 15 (2):137-141.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey. 2010. "Book Review: Alam, M. (Ed.). (2010). Municipal Infrastructure Financing: Innovative Practices From Developing Countries. Commonwealth Secretariat Local Government Reform Series Number 2. London, England: Commonwealth Secretariat. 142 pp. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-84929-003-6." Public Works Management & Policy 15, no. 2: 137-141.

Original articles
Published: 25 February 2010 in Gender & Development
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Although women in urban households in Nigeria are primarily responsible for sourcing and managing domestic water supplies, their responses to problems with obtaining water have to be negotiated within the context of gender power relations, roles and responsibilities, both within and outside the household. This article, focusing on women in poor communities in Lagos and Benin City, Nigeria, shows that there is some relationship between women's desire to organise for water improvements, and membership in voluntary associations. However, women are generally unable to influence decision-making in the sector through voluntary associations, and are excluded from actual participation in the business of water supply and the associated economic opportunities.

ACS Style

Charisma Acey. Gender and community mobilisation for urban water infrastructure investment in southern Nigeria. Gender & Development 2010, 18, 11 -26.

AMA Style

Charisma Acey. Gender and community mobilisation for urban water infrastructure investment in southern Nigeria. Gender & Development. 2010; 18 (1):11-26.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey. 2010. "Gender and community mobilisation for urban water infrastructure investment in southern Nigeria." Gender & Development 18, no. 1: 11-26.

Journal article
Published: 11 April 2008 in The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Between 1990 and 2004, Nigeria’s urban population jumped to nearly half the national population, while access to improved sources of water in urban areas dropped by nearly 15 per cent during the same period. This paper presents preliminary results on the relationship between water supply, neighbourhood characteristics, and household strategies in response to dissatisfaction with water provision as reported by 389 respondents in 10 neighbourhoods in Lagos and Benin City, Nigeria between October 2007 and February 2008. In this paper, a conceptual model of consumer demand for water is used, based upon Hirschman’s exit, voice and loyalty (EVL) framework. The model explicitly factors in the quality of water provision and variables at the household and neighbourhood levels that could affect perceptions about quality and the strategies that households use to cope with inadequate public services. Preliminary results show that reported household strategies to secure water are affected by community-level factors such as the range, cost, and quality of water supply alternatives, as well as neighbourhood composition. Furthermore, the percentage of urban migrants and households that live in rented flats in a neighbourhood seems to be associated with the use of exit strategies (as opposed to voice) in response to problems with their primary water supply.

ACS Style

Charisma Acey. Neighbourhood effects and household responses to water supply problems in Nigerian cities. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa 2008, 4, 34 .

AMA Style

Charisma Acey. Neighbourhood effects and household responses to water supply problems in Nigerian cities. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa. 2008; 4 (1):34.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charisma Acey. 2008. "Neighbourhood effects and household responses to water supply problems in Nigerian cities." The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa 4, no. 1: 34.