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.
Did Augustus Really Transform Rome into a 'City of Marble'?
Caeser Augustus famously boasted "I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble." An architectural historian and urban designer at UCLA now has the model to prove the veracity of the claim.
Study: Affordable Housing Policy Increases Segregation in the Twin Cities
A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota identifies the consequences of Twin Cities affordable housing policy: deepening racial and economic segregation.
Friday Eye Candy: A Satellite View of the Country's Winter Blanket
We know not everyone is pleased with the winter right now, but there's no denying the beauty of the United States when it's covered in snow.
A Case for Putting Kids First
Instead of "Bikers First!" or "Creative Class First!" James Siegel, president of Kaboom!, proposes an alternative for cities: "Kids First!"
On the Benefits of Compact Development
The environmental think tank environmental Sustainable Prosperity has created a handy infographic describing the benefits of dense urban development compared to sprawl.