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.

Report Offers Guidance for Improving Paratransit Services
The requirement to provide paratransit services is written into the Americans With Disabilities Act, so transit agencies must continue to find ways to provide these essential services as cost-effectively as possible.

A Message to Suburban Counties: Invest in Transit or Get Left Behind
An op-ed directs a pointed pro-transit message to Gwinnett County near Atlanta.

Whitewater Park Proposal Fails for Oregon City's Willamette Falls Project
There's still a lot to be excited about for the Willamette Falls Legacy Project in Oregon City. A whitewater park just isn't one of them.

Sweeping Parking Reform Approved in Oakland
The City Council of Oakland, California has approved a far-reaching reduction of parking requirements.

Help Wanted: Architects to Solve the Housing Dilemma
The housing crisis is a tough nut to crack. Obstacles of politics, economics, and design all stand in the way of the amount of quality housing for all levels of income that U.S. cities need. Can architects come to the rescue?