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.
Friday Funny: What Makes a Nerd-Friendly City?
Movoto has produced a pair of rankings: "The 10 Nerdiest Cities in America" and "The 10 Nerdiest Small Cities in America." According to the lists, there must be something in the water in Georgia.
EPA Adopts New Rules for Wood Burning Stoves
Wood burners are a common source of nostalgia—and particle emissions that wreak havoc on public health. To improve air quality and prevent asthma, heart attacks, and more, the EPA has passed its first rule change for wood burning heaters since 1988.
A Revitalized Oklahoma City Is Turning Heads
Recent attention from National Geographic justified fans of Oklahoma City ready to include the city among the world's best cities.
Mapping the Morning Commute
What time did you leave for work this morning? What time should you have left for work this morning?
Residents Sue Over the 'Lawless Skid Row' of Venice Beach
Venice Beach, one of the most popular tourist destinations and recognizable public spaces in Los Angeles, has long been the site of regulation battles. Now a neighborhood group is suing the city over what it perceives as rampant lawlessness.