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.

Explained: Calculating Vehicle Impacts on Road Surfaces
Pedal Fort Collins explains the math used to calculate the impacts of various sized vehicles on the roads they travel.

'First National Study of Neighborhood Parks' Finds Few Taking Advantage
Most neighborhood parks go relatively unused by adult populations and women, giving young children, mostly boys, the run of the place.

Friday Funny: A Scathing Comeback to Seattle's NBA Arena Trolls
Samantha Bee has seen the misogynistic conduct of NBA fans in Seattle after the City Council decided not approve a plan to build a new NBA arena in the city's SoDo neighborhood.

Is Supply Finally Coming to Rescue the Rental Market?
The relief that renters have been seeking might finally be on the way, if several market indicators are to be believed. If and when rent does fall, supply might have finally caught up with demand.

Parking Concerns Raised Around L.A.'s New Expo Line
Good news: Metro Los Angeles will open the long-awaited Expo Line extension, connecting Santa Monica and the the beach to Downtown Los Angeles, this weekend. Bad news: the public waited until now to worry about the parking around new stations.