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.
Editorial: Pittsburgh Landlord Fee an Unnecessary Burden
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has proposed a new fee on landlords to help enforce scofflaws. An editorial by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, however, argues that the math behind the fee doesn’t add up.
Cincinnati Not Biketown USA…Yet
Cincinnati currently stands at 45th in the nation in bike commuting share. But the city is bike commute share is leading the nation in its rate of adoption.

Emerging Trends Report: Urbanization is the 'New Normal'
The Toronto Star picks up on the Urban Land Institute's Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, finding the trend of urbanization in Canada to reflect the trend in the United States.
Charting the Decline of Chicago's Middle-Class Neighborhoods
A post on the Chicago magazine site dives into research showing how Chicago has segregated by income since the 1970s.

This Flying Car Could Hit the Market by 2017
Bloomberg reports that the dream vehicle of commuters everywhere—a flying car—might be available on the market within three years.