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.
Exploring the Planning History of Downtown Oakland
Oakland, as the urban counterpart to San Francisco in the Bay Area, is on a lot of people's radar as a place to improve on some of the lessons of recent waves of urbanization. What planning precedents shaped the city on the other side of the Bay?
Where and How 'Agrihoods' Work
A post on the Lexington Streetsweeper blog examines the idea of Farming Community Subdivision, or "agrihood," and the plausibility of such a community being created in Central Kentucky.
Residents Protest for the Right to Bear Sleds on Capitol Hill Snow Day
The sledding ban on Capitol Hill was too much for Washington, D.C. residents to bear. They brought wintertime fun to Congress on yesterday's snow day.
United Nations: Hoboken a Role Model for Resilience
The United Nations is looking for cities to model best practices in resilience planning. Look no further than Hoboken, New Jersey.
Friday Funny: Infrastructure: 'If Anything Exciting Happens We've Done it Wrong'
The news satire show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" gave comic treatment to the country's ever-present, much-neglected infrastructure crisis. It's hilarious and scary. At the same time!