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.
Op-Ed: Time to End Property Tax Funding for Transit in Toledo
The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority—one of the last agencies in the country to fund transit with property taxes—is unable to keep up with the times, according to an editorial arguing for a change.
Behold the World's First Underground Bike Park
A massive bike park in Louisville, Kentucky takes the fast-growing trend of urban bike parks to new (subterranean) levels.
The Dramatic Evolution of Toronto's Skyline
An image comparing the present day with Toronto from only 13 years ago has some comparing the Canadian city to New York in the 1920s.
Study Examines How Personality Types Cluster in Neighborhoods
A new study reveals the personality traits that draw people to certain urban environments.
How to Turn Boring Utility Boxes into Public Art
Cities around the country have been making it easier to decorate mundane utility boxes into something more colorful and representative of the neighborhoods they serve.