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.
Transit Shelter Modernization Plan on the Shelf in Seattle
Transit advocates thought a public-private partnership to modernize transit shelters and enhance the public realm was a done deal.
The Feds Finally Come Through for Albuquerque Rapid Transit
The city of Albuquerque has finally received the $75 million it needed to complete an ambitious plan for electric bus rapid transit along Central Avenue.
Zoning Change Protects Mobile Homes as Affordable Housing
The increasingly expensive city of Portland views mobile homes as a critical form of affordable housing.
The Public Can Hail Driverless Rides in Texas, Starting in October
Drive.ai is advancing its autonomous vehicle service a step further—into the public realm.
How 'Neighbors for Neighborhoods' Revitalizes Abandoned Buildings
A state program in New York s provides financial support for investors who adaptively reuse abandoned buildings in post-industrial towns.