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.

Map of Pandemic Real Estate Risk Focuses on New Jersey, Illinois, California
A new study evaluates county-level foreclosure risk, underwater home values, and more real estate market data after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States.

Feds Toss the Environmental Assessment for Portland Controversial Freeway Widening Project
It's back to the drawing board for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

Zoning Reform and Tax Abatements Drive Cincinnati's New Housing Equity Agenda
New political leadership in Cincinnati is centering housing equity in a proposal that would ease zoning restrictions and streamline Low Income Housing Tax Credits, among other measures.

Only High-Income Riders Rely on Twitter for Transit Info, Study Says
A recent study by the Transit app reveals which communications methods are the most and least effective at reaching demographic groups representative of transit riders.

New Leadership at New York Department of City Planning
With a new mayoral administration comes new planning leadership in the Big Apple.