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.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: White House Edition
The security cordon around the country's most famous residence is growing taller and stronger, again.
Chicago's Transit Oriented Developments Becoming More Affluent
The city of Chicago is focusing its development incentives around transit stations, but the people moving into those neighborhoods tend to be wealthier than previous residents.
Mayoral Survey Reveals Deep Anxiety Over Infrastructure
The headline from Politico's recent survey of mayors says it all: mayors fear that there will be more public health disasters like Flint to come if the nation doesn't coordinate to prioritize infrastructure.
Philadelphia's Franklin Square Installs a Fence and a Symbol of Privatization
Philadelphia's Franklin Square will require admission in the evening this spring, for the duration on a Chinese lantern festival. A critic faults the "philosophy of privatism" for robbing the park of its democratic qualities.
3 Examples of Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Policies
Mobility Lab tackles the challenges of building affordable housing near transit (i.e., transit-oriented affordable housing) by providing specific, real-world examples from cities and states.