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.
Los Angeles Returning to its Roots with the Growing Influence of Latino Urbanism
The antecedent of many of the urban design and public realm upgrades that have occurred in Los Angeles in recent years: street life in Latin American cities. Christopher Hawthorne calls it a return to first principles.
Study Finds that Gasoline Prices Impact Home Values
A study published by the Brooking Institution finds varying results, depending on the neighborhood, for a study of the impact of gasoline prices on home values.
Top 10 Books - 2015
Planetizen is pleased to release its list of the ten best books in urban planning, design, and development published in 2014.
Study Provides Lessons in Bike Lane Politics
Eric Jaffe examines the successful (on the third try) bike lane on the Burrard Street Bridge in Vancouver as a case study in pushing a difficult project through to completion.
Remodel of the Village Arcade a Sign of the Urban Times in Houston
The Houston Chronicle presents a lesson in how (and why) to convert the aesthetic of a university-adjacent retail center from suburban to urban.