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.
Alexander Garvin, Famed Planner, Author, and Teacher, Dies at 80
Alexander Garvin passed away in New York on December 17, 2021.
Build Back Almost: Historic Legislation Falls One Vote Short
A roundup of news on the planning-related consequences of the reported demise of the Build Back Better Act—a $2 trillion social spending bill intended to accompany the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act approved earlier this year.
Biden's New Tailpipe Emissions Rule Resets to Obama Administration Standards
The Biden administration finalized greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks that almost fully erased changes by the Trump administration that, in turn, erased a rule finalized by the Obama administration.
Year in Review: Urban Planning in 2021
Part one of two of Planetizen's review of 2021—re-assessing failed predictions and daylighting the biggest planning stories of the year.
How Rail Transit Ridership Changed During the Pandemic
Almost all heavy rail transit stations lost riders in 2020, but some stations lost far fewer riders than others. The data reveals lessons for transit planning beyond the end of the pandemic (whenever that happens).