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.

Tradeoffs Considered for Dallas-to-Plano Rail Line
Officials would like to speed up the arrival of the Cotton Belt—a planned rail line connecting Dallas to Plano—but that might require sacrificing service.

Planetizen Week in Review: August 1, 2016
Political junkies, map nerds, and transit fans all got plenty of big news to digest during the last week of July 2016.

Global Economy: Less Energy Intensity, Less Carbon Intensity
Some good news from the fight against climate change.

The Surprising Results of Comparing Car Ownership Across Cities
Although most people could probably guess the cities where residents own the fewest cars per household, it's surprising to find that Seattle residents own more cars than Atlanta residents.

A Bold High-Speed Rail Plan from Australia
Not only would a new $150.6 billion proposal build a high-speed rail project to connect Sydney and Melbourne, it would also build eight new cities along the way.