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.

Pittsburgh Mayor Pitches a New 'P4' Standard for Development Proposals
The city of Pittsburgh could adopt a new set of standards for measuring development projects to focus on people, planet, place, and performance.
Hurricane Matthew Brings Record Flooding in North Carolina
Hurricane Matthew seemed to have hit a glancing blow on the southeastern seaboard over the weekend, until the floodwaters, and the death tolls, started to rise.

The Self-Driving Bus of the Near-Term, Realistic Future
It might be fun to imagine a a world filled with self-driving cars, reducing traffic and improving safety with one silver bullet. The more realistic short-term scenario, however, deploys low-speed, self-driving buses on private campuses.

The New Definition of Global City, Fit for a New World
The Brookings Institution's Global Cities Initiative recently released a report proposing a new definition for global cities, which is actually seven definitions.

With Some Details To Be Determined, Austin's Transportation Bond Heads to the Ballot
Local groups are concerned that voting for the city of Austin's $720 million transportation bond will require a leap of faith.