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.
Artists Feel Gentrification Pressure in Bushwick
The Brooklyn Brief attended the recent eighth edition oft the Bushwick Open Studios annual art event. There the blog heard from artists concerned about the growing expenses of living in the neighborhood.
No Fix for Rundown Sidewalks and Streets in Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles has been searching for years for a fiscal solution to the deplorable conditions of its streets and sidewalks, but a recent proposal to increase sales taxes by a half-cent to 9.5 percent is now dead.
Trump's Controversial Sign of the Times in Chicago
The most conspicuous example of Chicago's recent spat of troubling signage is a 2,891-square-foot sign 200 feet above street level on the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.
A Transit Boom in Minneapolis' Southwest Suburbs (Summer-Long Bike-Share Included)
SouthWest Transit, amidst a period of increased ridership, has added new express routes, new buses, and even a new bike-share program. Motivating the agency, in part at least, for are the changes due if and when light rail arrives to the suburbs.
Seattle Neighborhood Debates Zoning Changes Near Light Rail Station
The city of Seattle is considering a proposition to upzone the area around the Mount Baker light-rail station in South Seattle, which opened in 2009. Locals are split on the issue.