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.

Madison Redesigning its Transit System, BRT Included
Transit service in the Wisconsin State Capital has been redesigned on a high-frequency grid.

Portland Approves ‘Residential Infill Project – Part 2' to Add New Forms of Residential Density
The city of Portland is already building upon the historic work of the Residential Infill Project, approved by the city in August 2021, with a new slate of zoning changes dubbed the ‘Residential Infill Project – Part 2.”

Twitter for Planners in 2022
Twitter is changing, not in the way Elon Musk wants it to, but it’s still perhaps the most useful social media platform for planners looking for education and engagement.

Analysis: California’s Bumpy Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Implementation
California took the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule and ran with it. Fully realizing the goals of the AFFH in California will require more work, according to a recent analysis.

Declining Water Levels Trigger ‘Stage 1’ Drought Response in Austin
The effects of the megadrought in the American Southwest are reaching into Texas.