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.
How the One Percent Deals with Drought in California
Anna Louise Bardach tells the story of Montecito, California, an extremely wealthy enclave near Santa Barbara, which has enough money to buy its way out of the drought.
Design Process for Seattle's Planned Waterfront Park—Now Reaching Out to Native Americans
After initial designs were critiqued as inauthentic to the Seattle experience, the park's designers are reaching out to the region's Native American population for advice on how to improve the plans for a new waterfront park.
The Community Reinvestment Act Gets a Makeover
Jonathan Walters details the new thinking that is redefining how Community Reinvestment Act funds are invested.
Op-Ed: Chicago's Washington Park a Perfect Fit for TIF
An op-ed in the Chicago Tribune addresses the long history of tax increment financing abuse in Chicago, but supports a proposed TIF district for Washington Park.
MassDOT Looks to Repurpose Freeway Underpasses
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is seeking ideas for how to create active uses among the often-blighted underbelly of freeway underpasses and other elevated structures.