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.
Philadelphia Goes High-Tech to Monitor Vacant Properties
The city of Philadelphia has deployed high-tech sensors and a new statistical model in its ongoing fight against the blight and health problems that follow vacant and abandoned properties.
'Bikelash' Over Downtown Pittsburgh Bike Lanes
Business owners in Downtown Pittsburgh are speaking out in opposition to a proposed, and funded, bike lane project on Fort Pitt Boulevard, raising concerns about parking and access to businesses.
D.C. Metro Will End Late-Night Rail Service for Two Years
A tough decision that has been on the table since the summer has now been made official by the WMATA's board of directors.
Portland Has a Bad Snow Day
Following in the footsteps of the "snowmageddon" events experienced by Atlanta in January 2014, Portland, Oregon had a surprising amount of difficulty with a small amount of snow this week.
Uber Rolls Self-Driving Cars Onto San Francisco Streets; Finds Legal Trouble
Uber chose to ask for forgiveness instead of asking for permission, rolling out self-driving cars to the public in San Francisco this week.