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.
DIY Bus Company Delivers Badly Needed Transit Service in Detroit
NationSwell tells the story of the Detroit Bus Company, which provides free transit services to neighborhoods in need around Detroit.
$2.1 Billion in Federal Transit Funding for the 'Subway to the Sea' in Los Angeles
Los Angeles will receive its largest-ever federal grant, $1.25 billion, to help fund the Purple Line subway, aka the "Subway to the Sea." Also on its way is an $856 million loan from the TIFIA program.
Should the 'Master' Be Removed from Planning?
Activists and officials in Philadelphia are currently debating the chosen nomenclature of one of the largest and most influential forms of planning—master planning.
New TxDOT Head Will Focus on Traffic Safety, Alternative Modes
The Texas Transportation Commission's choice to run the Texas Department of Transportation is a former Marine Corps lieutenant general with a progressive take on the state's transportation challenges.
'Dangerous by Design' Paints Bleak Portrait of Pedestrian Safety
A report by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition ranked the danger to pedestrians in metro areas around the country. The report finds the metro areas of the Sun Belt are the least safe to be the least safe places to walk.