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.
Montgomery County Planners Target 4,2000 New Housing Units
The Montgomery County Planning Department is making the case for more housing to meet the growing number of jobs in the county.

Coal Train Lawsuit Settlement Leaves Unanswered Questions
A lawsuit in the state of Washington between environmentalists and BNSF Railway over the environmental impacts of coal trains has been settled out of court.

Who Benefits from the East Bay's Big Bus Rapid Transit Project?
A key commercial corridor connecting Oakland and Fremont in the East Bay Area is due for a dramatic transformation in the form of a new Bus Rapid Transit line.

Op-Ed: Invest in Public University Development Projects to Protect Jobs
The case for state investments in public university campus development projects in Oregon.
What Now for Philly Neighborhoods Reconnected by the Rebuilt 41st Street Bridge?
The city of Philadelphia's "most notorious unfinished infrastructure project" is now complete. What will the rebuilt 41st Street Bridge mean for the neighborhoods on either side?