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.
Placemeter Provides New Ways to Measure Traffic
In the ongoing quest to better measure the use of streets by all modes—a new tool could be a game changer for transportation engineers, planners, and advocates alike.
Cities Where Density Benefits Transportation Efficiency
A simple demonstration of one of the benefits of density.
How Much Does it Cost the Public to Build Housing in Loudoun County, Virginia?
A wealthy county in Virginia has a reputation for prohibiting the construction of new housing. Development interests, however, are fed up with anti-development arguments.
Battle Cry of the Suburban Majority
According to Joel Kotkin, the next culture war will be fought over how and where Americans choose to live. It's suburbs vs. cities, again.
Houston's Main Street Crosses a Spectrum of Wealth and Poverty
A feature in the Houston Chronicle explores the economic segregation of Houston along the axis of Main Street—with low income neighborhoods like Independence Heights to the north and affluent neighborhoods like Old Braeswood to the south.