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.
Don't Tell Me What Happens in The Death and Life of Great American Cities
I am trying to get caught up on The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. I'm a chapter behind, so don't tell me what happens.
Ballot Initiative Would Split California into Fractals
It’s a surreal response to a surreal proposal: How many different ways can California be divided?
Study: Hollywood Endings Most Likely in Los Angeles
A new study sheds light on why it seems that the sun shines 366.25 days a year in Los Angeles but falls short of solving one of life's great mysteries.
Study Examines the Evolution of the New York Minute
A new study examines the widely reported effect of the “New York Minute,” claiming that the new multi-modal nature of New York City’s streets has harkened the obsolescence of previously stated definitions of the non-standard measure of time.
NIMBY Added to the Oxford English Dictionary
The definitive dictionary of the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary, will add the term NIMBY to its latest edition, citing the widespread use and worldwide political relevance of the term as reasons for its inclusion.