James Brasuell, AICP is the former editorial director of Planetizen and is now a senior public affairs specialist at the Southern California Association of Governments. James managed all editorial content and direction for Planetizen from 2014 to 2023, and was promoted from manging editor to editorial director in 2021. After a first career as a class five white water river guide in Trinity County in Northern California, James started his career in Los Angeles as a volunteer at a risk reduction center in Skid Row. Prior to joining Planetizen, James worked at the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design, as an editor at Curbed LA, as editor of The Planning Report, and as a freelance contributor for The Architect’s Newspaper, the Urban Land Institute – Los Angeles Chapter, FORM, KCET, and the California Planning & Development Report.

Electric Driving Is the Future; Now Is the Time to Price It
EVs are great, but they’re not perfect. Let’s end their free ride.

Idaho’s Growth Obscures Massive Demographic Turnover, Study Says
Quick population growth is remaking Idaho, but focusing only on raw population numbers masks the demographic changes at work.

NLIHC Report: Wages Don’t Cover the Cost of Housing in Every Corner of the Country
The “Out of Reach 2022” report, published recently by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, paints a dire picture of a lack of housing affordability in the United States.

Fort Worth Spending More on Flood Control; Still Well Short of What’s Needed
Fort Worth could spend $136 million on stormwater infrastructure and flood control over the next five years. In all, the city needs more like $1 billion of investment.

National Redevelopment Role Model: Alpharetta, Georgia
Cities around the country have taken notice of the big redevelopment programs in the city of Alpharetta.