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.
State Legislation Would Dramatically Reform Tolling in New York City
It remains to be seen if the ambitious changes in toll pricing around New York City proposed by AO9633 has the support it needs for approval, but at least the tolling agenda proposed by Move NY is now up for consideration by the State Legislature.
Population Growth Trends Return to Pre-Recession Norms
It's almost like the Great Recession and the Great Urban Renaissance never happened, as Americans are moving to the suburbs and the Sunbelt than to the nation's urban areas.
Four Cities to Explore the Frontiers of Infrastructure Finance
City Accelerator selected four cities to test new options for financing the infrastructure investments of the 21st century and beyond.

Chicago's Never Built Skyscraper—Now a Hole in the Ground and a Pile of Dirt
The high-water marks showing where the last boom broke under the pressure of the Great Recession are still visible in cities all over the country. The Chicago Tribune recently checked on a particularly poignant example in Chicago.
Albuquerque Approves 10-Mile Bus Rapid Transit Project
Now that the Albuquerque City Council has approved a plan to create bus-only lanes on Central Avenue, the city will seek federal funding for the project.