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.

The Most Unsafe Road in Ohio: A Five-Mile Stretch of Interstate in Columbus
Traffic safety analysis inspires debate about the culprit (drivers or engineers?) on the least safe stretch of road in the Buckeye State.

City of London Could Set Speed Limits at 15 MPH
The City of London (not to be confused with the larger area of Greater London) will consider a plan to reduce speed limits throughout the "Square Mile" that outlines its boundaries.

Northgate Link Extension—Opening This Weekend—Expected to Transform Seattle in More Ways Than One
The long awaited Northgate Link Extension, which will connect rapidly changing neighborhoods in North Seattle to downtown in 14 minutes, will open to the public on Saturday, October 2.

The 2010s: The Decade of the Suburban Rental
Census data reveal a growing number of suburbs are home to a majority of renters. The data challenges the "very definition of suburban living," according to this article.

'Quality of Life' Award for Utah Freeway Widening Prompts Criticism, Debate
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently announced that the Utah Department of Transportation had won the "Quality of Life/Community Development" award. A social media pile on commenced.