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.
Homeowners Are Going Underwater Again
The narrative about the full recovery of the real estate market from the housing market crash of 2008 is only true in some parts of the country. In fact, an increasing number of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth.
A Song for (Almost) Every City
An intrepid developer has combined the powers of OpenStreetMap, Wikipedia, and Spotify to map 7,681 songs about 212 cities across the globe.
Op-Ed: Austin a Shadow of its Former Self
An op-ed by David Heymann produces an elaborate, protracted metaphor of Austin as a former youthful "golden child" now showing the least attractive possible traits of middle age.
Charleston Planning a Bike Infrastructure Update
The capital of West Virginia has hired Alta Planning and Design to undertake a ten-month process to update the city's bike and trail plan.
Uber Cars Now Outnumber Yellow Taxis in New York City
Looking for evidence of the new world order? Here's some from New York City: Uber cars now outnumber yellow-cabs.