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.
South Beach Streetcar Proposal on Pause
A plan to move forward with a streetcar line in Miami Beach will have to wait while the county plans a route across the Biscayne Bay.
Real Estate Industry Executives Brace for Republican Tax Reforms
A proposal by House Republicans to overhaul U.S. tax law is gaining traction, aided by the certainty of the Trump Administration. Included among the proposed reforms are changes that could bring an end to a key benefit of home ownership.
A New Method to the Planning Vision for Bethesda, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland is pursuing significant changes for Downtown Bethesda. The proof is in the draft Bethesda Downtown Plan—a long-range land use plan that would allow a new approach to density.
Renovations Complete on Germany's Suspended Railway
A unique railway in Germany has a new look.
Legal Bow Hunting in a Suburban County
Large swaths of Fairfax County, Virginia allow bow hunting of deer in park spaces very close to where people live. One writer wonders if the benefits of "urban archery" are worth the risks.