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.

Talking Points for an Urban Agenda at the Democratic National Convention
Next City has released what it's calling an "urbanist's guide" to the Democratic National Convention.

100 Years Ago Today: The City of New York Adopts its First Zoning Code
On July 25, 1916, New York adopted its first Zoning Resolution, for the first time regulating the height, size and arrangement of buildings in the city.

New York's L Train Will Be Closed for 18 Months
The New York MTA has chosen the "remove-the-band-aid-quickly" strategy for its plans to repair the L Train line from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
Lightning Strike Partially Collapses Blue Line Platform in Chicago
Anyone in Chicago or with their eyes on social media this weekend couldn't have avoided the scary sights produced by an afternoon storm.

Algae Blooms: There's More Where That Came From
Some are calling it the summer of Algae—from Utah to Florida to Australia, the world is encountering massive amounts of the stinky, dangerous sludge.