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.
Evaluating CEQA: The Controversial Law Turns 50
The California Environmental Quality Act, commonly referred to as CEQA for short, has been influencing planning and development in California for 50 years, creating a constant source of controversy and criticisms from both sides of the debate.
Business Booming, Amazon Plans Big Real Estate Expansion
Amazon is moving more moving more products than ever, and the company is expanding its physical footprint to keep up with the trends.
Uber Bails on Autonomous Vehicles
One of the highest-profile, and most legally fraught, efforts to beat the competition into the autonomous vehicles market is now defunct.
Montgomery County Charts a New Path with 'Thrive 2050'
A new plan under development in Montgomery County, Maryland plots a course change for the famously suburban county.
Nine Months Later: How the Pandemic Is Changing Communities
Planetizen shares the latest in a series of compendia tackling the effects of the pandemic, now and in the future, for cities and communities.