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.
Sitting on the Walls Prohibited in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square
The list of prohibitions for the use of public spaces grows—this time to the seemingly innocuous and park-perfect activity of sitting.
First on Chicago's Wish List from the Trump Administration: $1 Billion for Union Station
The Emanuel Administration has yet to secure needed funding for a big project to update Chicago's Union Station. Now it's up to the Trump Administration to supply a needed loan.
The Details of Sacramento's Proposed Downtown Streetcar Line
The cities of West Sacramento and Sacramento have high hopes for a streetcar line planned for some of the most beautiful and urban neighborhoods in the region. The Trump Administration could still change the course of the project, however.
A New Community Plan for a Neighborhood on the Border
The city of San Diego recently approved a 30-year community plan for the San Ysidro neighborhood.
HUD Announces $132 Million in New Choice Neighborhood Grants
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced another round of Choice Neighborhood grants in December, awarding five communities a total of $132 million in grant funding.