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.

Teaching Urban Planning to Pre-Schoolers
An experiment involving colorful Legos, big pictures, and "Where Things Are From Near to Far."
$1.4 Million Needed to Bailout Seattle's Pronto! Bikeshare
After missing out on the latest round of TIGER grants and being stuck in acquisition limbo with the city of Seattle, the bikeshare system of Pronto is running out of money and time.
'Zoning Ordinance Diagnostic' Underway in Atlanta
The city of Atlanta is undertaking a wide-ranging review of its current zoning code in the hopes of implementing form-based codes for more of the city.

How One University Will Become Less Car-Centric
Fresno State University in California has released plans for a suite of changes that will redefine its approach to transportation—away from a devout focus on cars and toward more transportation options.
Report Details Multi-Family Housing Gap on Long Island
When a region isn't building enough housing to meet the demands of a growing population and shifting demographics, zoning codes reform and infrastructure investment can be the solution.