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.

A New Transit Plan for Suburban Georgia
The county of Henry, located in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area, is updating its 30-year Transit Master Plan.

Planning via Zoom: Legal Scrutiny for Pandemic Realities in New York City
The question of whether a public review process conducted by Zoom is sufficient to approve a sweeping rezoning plan is a matter of no small legal concern in New York City.

Monorail Doesn't Measure Up for Los Angeles, Says Editorial Board
The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times is unimpressed by a plan to build a monorail between the Westside and the San Fernando Valley in the city of Los Angeles.

Rents Rising Despite the Pandemic
The latest data from CoreLogic from December 2020 shows that despite headlining-grabbing rent declines in San Francisco and New York, some rents are continuing and even surpassing pre-pandemic trends.

Cultivating a Culture of Transit
How Detroit, historical home of the U.S. automotive industry, can create a culture of transit and the equitable transportation system its residents need.