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.
Urban Ecology and the Evolution of the City
A recent article reveals the inconspicuous nature of the city—an ecosystem, "pipes and all."
Explained: Vacancies, Population Decline, and the Importance of Household Size
Jason Segedy has published a long, brutally frank look at blight and vacant properties, especially at the underappreciated culprit for the woes of so many shrinking cities around the Rust Belt: household decline.
Portland Moves Forward with Revised 'Street Fund'
A revised proposal for the "Portland Street Fund," announced this week by the city's political leadership, aims to balance the needs of advocates of alternative transportation and that of the city's business community.
How to Crowdfund a Bike Lane
A PeopleforBikes post explains why the crowdfunding model made sense for a proposed project by the Downtown Denver Partnership to create a protected bike lane on Arapahoe Street.
To Keep the Weight Off—Oklahoma City Prioritizes Active Urban Spaces
In 2012, Oklahoma City lost one million pounds by going on a citywide diet. Now it plans to keep the weight off by funding and building a more active, less car-centric city.