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.
Homelessness Growing in Austin—For the First Time in Years
The state capital of Texas is not immune to the growing numbers of homeless in cities around the country.

The Life and Death of Urban Hierarchies
Kristen Jeffers writes that she's changed her mind about the existence of hierarchies among U.S. cities.
Feds Expect 40 Percent Growth in Freight in the Next 30 Years
A big data dump from the federal government earlier this week predicts drastic increases in the amount of freight that will be moving around the country in the next few decades.
Florida City First to Subsidize Uber Rides
A city in Florida is betting that transportation network companies can help reduce congestion and increase transit ridership.

Norway Has a Plan for $1 Billion in Bicycle Highways
It's not a done deal yet, but Norway's $1 billion plan for inter-city bicycle highways should be enough to inspire envy among cyclists here in the United States.