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.

Toronto Wants a Deck Park to Span Downtown Rail Tracks
The Rail Deck Park could end up being known forever as the #RailDeckPark the way the social media buzz built for this splashy project proposal this week.

2016 TIGER Grants Award $484 Million to 40 Winning Projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the latest round of TIGER grants on July 28.

Safety Got Worse Before it Got Better on Cincinnati's Central Parkway Bike Lane
The controversy over a protected bike lane along Central Parkway in Cincinnati continues. The latest grist for the mill comes from a report finding that crashes increased in the first complete year of the lane's operation.

Many Cities Now Facing the Challenges of Prosperity
It might be possible for San Francisco residents to feel like the challenges of homelessness, gentrification, and a tech boom, all colliding at once, are unique to their city. Other cities—Denver for example—are facing the same challenges.

Calling for Approval of 'Plan 2014' to Restore Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River
Political leaders are still seeking support for the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Plan 2014, which has been circulating since November 2014.