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.
Study Reveals China's Middle Class Obesity Problem
A study titled "Walking, obesity and urban design in Chinese neighborhoods" finds that the population with least access to walkable neighborhoods in China—namely, the middle class, are suffering the worst of the country's growing obesity problem.
$170 Million Park Would Replace Manhattan's Pier 54
With designs by architect Thomas Heatherwick and Landscape Architect Mathews Nielsen, a park proposal for the Hudson River would make a splashy addition to the neighborhood that boasts the south end of the High Line.
Retail Development, Housing Units to Replace San Francisco's NFL Stadium
A new retail center planned for the location of the former home of the San Francisco 49ers will serve as a hub of activity for 12,000 housing units in the planning pipeline over the next ten to 20 years.
Report Details Best Practices for Land Banks
A recent report collects data from the experience of cities using land banks as a method for addressing vacant and blighted properties.
Graduate Urbanism Studies Aren't What They Used to Be
As society's understanding of cities, neighborhoods, and communities continues to evolve, so too do the graduate education programs created to provide professional training in those areas.