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.

Minneapolis Ends Parking Requirements for Transit-Adjacent Developments
Minneapolis took a large leap forward last week by approving a plan that would reduce parking requirements for transit-adjacent developments in a huge swath of the city—not just downtown.
Auto-Repair Facility Permit Filed a Day Before Pedestrian-Friendly Zoning: What Next?
A case study in the development miscues that can move forward while plans are developed and approved.
Sunday Funday: Video Game Plays on Fears About Crumbling Infrastructure
The game is called INFRA—the action is set in a city where corruption in the private and public sectors has left the city on the brink of collapse.
Stormwater Improvements Linked to Freeway Project in Northeast Denver
The funding needed to complete the Two Basin Drainage Project in Denver would come as a package deal with a $1.2 billion plan to overhaul I-70. Residents are concerned that they might be getting more than they bargained for.
New Jersey Cities Dragging Feet on Court-Mandated Affordable Housing Plans
Fair housing has taken national stage in recent weeks—a Supreme Court ruling and a Department of Housing and Urban Development rule now define fair housing. The New Jersey Supreme Court has also had its say on the subject, and cities are catching up.