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 Red Cedar: a Resilient and Adaptive Urban Pioneer
Dave Taft pens an ode to the merits of the red cedar—a common tree in New York City and dry, empty lots all over the East.
Census Survey: Household Growth Finally Booming
The most recent Census Bureau Housing Vacancy Survey showed a long-awaited boom in household growth—to the tune of 1.6 million households in year-over-year growth.
Urban Engines App a Navigation Game Changer
A navigation app that aggregates transportation modes and works offline? Do tell.
Bertha on the Move Again in Seattle
Finally, a breakthrough we've all been waiting for: Bertha is on the move again in Seattle and will soon be ready for repairs. The tunnel Bertha was built to drill will have to wait, however.
A Coming of Age Story for Philadelphia's Revitalized Center City
A housing report by analyzing Philadelphia's Center City enunciates an obstacle facing many cities in the throes of downtown revitalization: What happens when Millennials don't come home to roost?