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.
New Report Contradicts the U.N.: More Like 84 Percent of the World Lives in Urban Areas
"Everything we've heard about global urbanization turns out to be wrong."
Sidewalks and Footpaths 'Functionally Obsolete' in the Near Transportation Future
With so much attention devoted to how technology will change roadways and vehicles, less speculation has attended to the ways technology will change walking.
In Defense of Electric-Assist Bikes
Electric-assist bikes, also known as e-bikes, will make it easier for more people to ride bikes, according to this opinion piece.
U.S. Army to Build New 'Futures Command' in Austin
The new Futures Command will employ 500 employees and represents a big win for the city of Austin in a national economic development process landscape increasingly marked by competitive bid processes.
Protected Bike Lane Plan Shelved in San Francisco
Bike advocates say a protected bike lane near the downtown Caltrain station can't wait. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) says the project will have to wait.