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.
A Modest Proposal: Stop Subsidizing Driving
Joe Cortright argues for a new approach to the discussion about the country's dependence on automobiles: talk about responsibility, not morals.
Mapping the Country's Bridge Maintenance Crisis
A new, interactive feature by The Washington Post endeavors to bring the point about the nation's crumbling infrastructure closer to home.
Shreveport Debates a Highway Proposal
Strong Towns is rolling out an in-depth analysis of a controversial proposal in Shreveport, Louisiana to build a new connector for Interstate 49 North in the heart of the city.
Google Can Now Predict Parking Difficulty
The way Google predicts parking difficulty could make it easier to develop "smart city" applications in the future.
8,000 U.S. Public Schools Located Near Sources of Pollution
Schools tend to get built on cheap land. Cheap land is often found near busy roadways—sources of pollutants that are harmful to the health of children.