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.
Rents Falling at the Upper End of New York's Real Estate Market
The construction of thousands of rental apartments in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens are credited with driving down costs at the upper end of the New York City rental market.
Former Ford Plant in St. Paul Taking Shape as a Massive Mixed-Use Development
A long-awaited plan for the former Ford plant along the Mississippi River is now open for public comment.
Portland Beefing Up its Buffered Bike Lane Network
The Portland Bureau of Transportation recently put the finishing touches on 5.6 miles of improvements to the city's bike infrastructure.
A Best Practice for Measuring Transit Performance
The New York MTA isn't the only transit system to spend valuable time evaluating ways to evaluate service, and it certainly won't be the last. TransitCenter suggests one metric to end these kinds of debates.
Adventure Playgrounds Set the Children Free
An exploration of how adventure playgrounds enable freedom for children living in a world full of helicopter parents.