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.

Equity and Transit Go Hand in Hand for the Pandemic Recovery
Equity illuminates the light at the end of the tunnel for U.S. transit agencies, according to a recent report by the Urban Institute.

Study: At Least 1,500 Unhoused Died on the Streets of L.A. During the Pandemic
New research represents the first detailed picture of death among people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

Measuring the Economic Impact of the Great Allegheny Passage
Small communities once dependent on coal, coke, paper, lumber, and manufacturing now have a 150-mile bike and pedestrian path contributing to the local economy.

Land Use Regulations on a Collision Course in California
The future of planning in California depends on how lawyers reconcile the Housing Accountability Act with the California Environmental Quality Act.

Are Movie Studios 'Highest and Best Use' During a Housing Affordability Crisis?
Toronto's answer to the question posed in the headline is, "yes." One columnist wonders if the city can do more to balance its priorities.