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.
What One Oil Pipeline Spill Every Day Looks Like on a Map
The recent spill of 210,000 gallons of crude oil from the Keystone pipeline in South Dakota was far from an outlier.
A Radical Idea to Help the Homeless: Homeowners Should Open Their Doors
The mayor of Oakland is challenging homeowners to offer their extra rooms and in-law units to the homeless, with a target to create a modest 100 new permanent supportive housing units.
Report: Melbourne Needs a '30-Minute City'
To counteract the effects of sprawl, a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers recommends locating job growth in the city of Melbourne, Australia, in locations outside the city's core.
Editorial: Congress Should Extend, Not End, Tax Exempt Bonds for Affordable Housing
The Seattle Times says there could be no worse time than right now to repeal tax exempt bonds that help finance affordable housing.
Friday Funny: The Most Famous MARTA Bus Ever Was in the Right Place at the Right Time
Not everything went according to plan in a perfectly planned demolition even in Atlanta over the weekend.