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.

Study: Self-Driving Cars Likely to Restore 70% of Lost Faith in Humanity
A new study also finds reason to believe that self-driving cars will make everyone nicer and generally more affable that any point in human history since the advent of the car.

Can You Tell the Difference Between Real Planning Click Bait and Fake Planning Click Bait?
Pop Quiz: Can you tell these differences between the real phrases, fake phrases, and inconsequential phrases in this contest of planning clickbait?

NASCAR Announces '20 Is Plenty' Marketing Campaign
Traffic safety advocates scored a major coup when NASCAR announced its support of reduced speed limits.
Zaha Hadid, Trailblazing and World-Renowned Architect, Dies at 65
Zaha Hadid's architectural career took her to the pinnacle of the field, including acknowledgement as the first female Pritzker Prize winner.
Parking Shortage Tied to Convention Center Woes in Cleveland
The idea that there isn't enough parking around Cleveland's FirstMerit Convention Center, site of the 2016 Republican National Convention, is likely debatable, but local officials are looking for solutions to the problem regardless.