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.
No Business as Usual in an Autonomous Vehicle Future
Among the reasons to reconsider new investments in expanded roadway capacity: the impending revolution in transportation that will arrive when cars start driving themselves.
PennDOT Planning Higher Speed Limits on Interstates
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is scrutinizing the details of a plan to raise speed limits on roads all over the state.
New Details on Seattle's $50 Billion Light Rail Plan
The campaign for the Sound Transit 3 ballot initiative is underway in Seattle, after local officials released a draft plan that charts a $50 billion build out of light rail in the region.
Stormwater Permits Create Funding Problems for SoCal Cities
The MS4 Permit was designed as a way to clean up urban stormwater runoff in Southern California. Many of the smaller cities in the region, however, are struggling to pay the bill to cover the permits costs.
Canada Ready to Renegotiate Critical Columbia River Treaty
The U.S. and Canada have come to an agreement that it's time to renegotiate a treaty that governs the management of dams and water along the Columbia River—one of the largest rivers on the continent.