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.

Moms 4 Housing Founders Elected to Office in the East Bay
Two leaders of Moms 4 Housing, which has grown to a national housing movement, have been elected to office in Oakland and Berkeley.

Multiple Aerial Trams Proposed in Clearwater, Florida
The city of Clearwater added another aerial tram project to its list of planning proposals. It's the second aerial tram proposal to move forward in the city this year.

The 'Marshall Plan for Middle America' Plans $600 Million in Clean Energy Investments
A coalition of leaders in the Appalachian region recently released the "Marshall Plan for Middle America" to create jobs and transition the states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky away from fossil fuels.

Open Street Abandoned in New York
The New York Department of Transportation is changing the way it plans and manages open streets as political support for the concept wavers.

3 Myths About Rural America and How to Debunk Them
The effort to debunk common myths about rural America in academia and the news media continues.