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.

Undoing the Destructive Legacy of Hartford's Interstates
A new plan would spend an estimated $17 billion to remove a huge chunk of the Interstate Highway System's footprint in Hartford, Connecticut.

Canadian Supreme Court Upholds Carbon Tax
A historic ruling in Canada allows the federal government to supersede the efforts of provinces in fighting the causes of climate change.

A New Metropolitan Blueprint for Texas
Traditionally associated with its wide-open spaces, Texas is now, undeniably, defined by the cities and suburbs that comprise its built environment.

2020 Could Set Records for Pedestrian Fatality Rates
The novel coronavirus wasn't the only public health risk spreading around the United States in 2020.

Increasing the Ambition for an Atlanta-Area Express Bus Lane Project
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority recently proposed ambitious station design concepts to supplement the Georgia Department of Transportation's plans for a 16-mile express bus lane system on Ga. Highway 400.