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.
Plans for the 'Loop Trolley' in St. Louis Threatened by High Costs
Plans for the 2.2-mile Loop Trolley in St. Louis have encountered problems before—now planners and construction contractors reportedly have different ideas about how much it will take to build the line.

$202 Million Streetcar Plan for Oakland's Broadway Corridor
Oakland city officials are considering a streetcar between two of the city's transit and entertainment hubs in the hopes of solidifying the stream of investment coming into the city.
Bus Rapid Transit Proposed for Queens to Rockaways Route
New York implemented bus rapid transit with the Select Bus Service, but has yet to develop the kind of busways found in Bogota or Guangzhou. Will a route in Queens deliver the full BRT experience?
Brookings Study Maps Freight Traffic in the United States
A new report by the Brookings Institution "analyzes domestic and international goods trade data from 2010" toward the goal of better coordinating freight policies and investments between regions.
Friday Funny: Everywhere You Go, 'Brooklyn' Is There
You've probably heard the proclamation "The Next Brooklyn" more than once, from the New York Times of all things.