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.
Guerrilla Traffic Calming Efforts Elicit Mixed Responses
A recent article surveys a few examples of residents in cities around the country employing tactical urbanism. As tactical urbanism has been adopted in different ways in different cities, so to have the reactions of city leaders varied.
After Legal Setback, Oregon Acts to Reset Urban Growth Boundaries
Earlier in February, the Oregon Court of Appeals threw out a 50-year growth plan approved in 2010 for Metro and Portland area counties. Oregon legislators reacted with House Bill 4078, which has broad support.
Debunking the One-Size-Fits-All Gentrification Model
Not all gentrification is alike. New research show just how different gentrification is in St. Louis as compared to Seattle or San Francisco.
A McDonald’s Case Study for Land Use Policies in Providence
James Kennedy examines a proposed development of a McDonald’s and a Family Dollar store in Providence, Rhode Island, for lessons about the city’s land use policies.
Lessons for Detroit—from New Orleans
Detroit recently replaced New Orleans as the American city with the highest rate of blight. As Detroit undertakes its plans to shrink, which includes a massive blight removal campaign, what lessons from New Orleans bear repeating?