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.
20 Years of Planning for Streetcars in Washington, D.C.
In anticipation of the expected opening of the H Street/Benning Road streetcar line in Washington, D.C., Peter Dovak examines the evolution of streetcar planning over the past 20 years.
Remembering Urban Renewal on Jane Jacobs's Birthday
Some think of May 4 as Star Wars day, others remember May 4 as the birthday of Jane Jacobs. Charles Marohn suggests that May 4 should now be known as "Urban Renewal Remembrance Day."
Study Finds New Evidence that Place Determines Income Mobility
A new study by Harvard economists provides the best evidence yet that where children grow up matters to the outcomes of their lives.
99-Cent Stores: the Weed of the Urban Commercial Environment
A proliferation of 99-cent stores in the Woodhaven neighborhood in Queens has strangled the commercial offerings in the neighborhood. But can residents or the local business improvement district do anything about the trend?
Making Room for Skyscrapers in the Jane Jacobs Debate
A Market Urbanism op-ed makes the case for high-rise neighborhoods as an integral part of successful cities—even if some Jacobs fans tend to overlook the benefits of such parts of town.