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.
Parking Fees Approved for Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Visitors to the nation’s busiest national park will soon have to pay to park under a plan announced today by park officials.
Aurora Restricts ‘Cool Weather Turf’ For New Development
Drought is reshaping western U.S. landscapes. Las Vegas banned ornamental grass in 2021. Aurora is now the first municipality in Colorado to curb the use of some grasses in new developments.
The Tide Has Turned Against Open Streets
Once a promising development for advocates pushing for a less car-centric future in cities, the open streets movement has ceded significant ground to cars since the height of the pandemic.
Congestion Pricing Details Emerge From MTA’s Environmental Assessment
After more than a decade of delays and reversals, congestion pricing is expected to take effect in Manhattan in late 2023 or early 2024.
$2.2 Billion in RAISE Grant Funding Announced for Transportation Projects
The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) competitive grant program, supersized by the federal infrastructure bill in 2021, just announced a new round of funding.