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.
Feds Release New 'Transportation and Health Tool'
A new tool from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Centers for Disease Control allows comparisons between state or metropolitan area on transportation and public health indicators.
Where People Choose to Live—Simple and Also Not-So-Simple
A new study confirms much of what we already suspect about the choices people make about where to live, but with a far-reaching, scientific approach.
Offshore Wind Power Picks Up Momentum Along the Atlantic Coast
The potential for offshore wind power along the Atlantic Coast has moved closer to reality in fits and starts. Recent leases, however, indicate what the future of the industry could looks like.

A Parking Kerfuffle in Downtown Dallas
The big, contentious question of contemporary downtowns is under consideration in Dallas: Is there too much parking or not enough parking?
Report: Detroit's Property Tax System in Need of Major Overhaul
Detroit's comeback has been well documented, as has its efforts to remove blight and demolish vacant properties. A new report sheds light on another of the city's deepest challenges: how to reform property taxes to achieve fiscal certainty.