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.
Visualizing Parking in the City of Brotherly Love: Parkadelphia
An intrepid city employee created Philadelphia's first mapping tool for visualizing the layers of regulation and management that govern when, when, and how people park in Philadelphia.
New York City Council Approves Sweeping Zoning Changes
Politico New York reports all the important details on a big day for planning in New York City—as the City Council overwhelmingly approved two controversial zoning changes to help spur the construction of affordable housing.

What's In a Name? Not Robert Moses
Local officials in the area of Niagara Falls in New York say the name Robert Moses is a detriment to the local tourism industry—so they're removing his name from a local parkway.
Revealed: The Winners of AIA Chicago's Tiny Homes Competition
Tiny homes have captured new attention as a potential response to the homelessness and housing supply limitations gripping many U.S. cities. An AIA Chicago design competition recently called on architects to design new prototypes of the tiny home.
Forget Brain Drain—Rural Minnesota Is Going Strong
Rural areas are troubled by narratives of brain drain and decline, but for most rural areas, the numbers simply don't back up those concerns.