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.
Foreign Investors Driving Up Housing Costs, Creating Zombie Communities
A slew of analysis in recent weeks has examined the negative consequences of foreign real estate speculation in cities like New York City, London, and Vancouver.
How Value Capture Raised $2 Billion for Infrastructure in São Paulo
Leão Serva reports on the case of São Paulo, where a value capture funding mechanism has raised a huge amount of public revenue to pay for infrastructure projects and public housing.
Watch the National September 11 Memorial Museum Rise from the Ground
A time-lapse camera installed by a live webcam company called EarthCam has produced a beautiful two-and-a-half-minute video showing the construction of the September 11 Memorial and Museum.
In Search of the Right Fit for Bus Stops on Virginia's Columbia Pike
A controversy over the "million-dollar bus stop" in Arlington prompted one writer to examine the size and scale of bus stops. It's a cost consideration that can determine the choice, in some cases, between bus rapid transit and streetcars.
Friday Eye Candy: A Photo Critique of Asia's Megacities
Michael Wolf is a 60-year-old German photojournalist living in Hong Kong. In a recent interview, he describes his various projects in capturing the lives of the millions who call Asian megacities home.