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.
New Transit Oriented Zoning Criteria Proposed for Massachusetts
More details on the state of Massachusetts' game changing "Housing Choice" program are now available.
Central Park Climate Lab Launches With a Mission to Save Urban Parks
A unique partnership will offer tools and resources for protecting urban parks from the effects of climate change.
Seattle's Vision Zero Program Emphasizes Safe Systems Over Enforcement
Looking for traffic safety improvements while responding to 2020's Black Lives Matter protests, Seattle has spent much of the past two years implementing a Safe System approach to move closer to its Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic fatalities.
Saving San Jose's Vanishing Tree Canopy
Trees are vanishing from the San Jose, California cityscape. The city has a plan to reverse the damage, but significant challenges stand in the way of progress.
Proposed Bill Would Ease Conversion of Public Golf Courses to Housing in California
The California State Legislature will again consider a bill that would remove protections for municipal golf courses in the state, making it easier to rezone public golf properties for housing.