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.
Ranking the Best (and Worst) Cities for Recreation
July is "National Park and Recreation Month." To commemorate, WalletHub compiled a ranking system that compares cities by their recreational opportunities.
Feel Like Singing? Here's 11 Transportation-Themed Show Tunes
NPR movie critic Bob Mondello gathered ditties from musicals inspired by the glory of transportation.
Pending Financial Deal Would Expand Citi Bike in New York City
An agreement that would provide Citi Bike with a substantial capital investment—greatly expanding its geographic reach and number of bikes—is in final stages of negotiations, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Value of Fast Transit—Under Construction in Paris
The proposed Grand Paris Express program, which began construction this summer and is expected for completion in 2030, will serve 2 million people a day at "wildly fast speeds." Then there's light rail in the United States.
San Francisco Considering Property Tax Break for Urban Gardens
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering adopting an "Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone" policy to incentivize the development of urban gardens on empty lots (which actually do exist in San Francisco).