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.
How Oakland Is Fixing its Pandemic Planning Equity Problem
The Oakland Slow Streets program, one of the most controversial developments of the early pandemic, has evolved to become the Essential Places initiative, thanks to new planning practices and a commitment to equity in Oakland, California.
National Rent Debt Projected to Reach $7.2 Billion by the End of 2020
The weight of the pandemic is hanging around millions of renters' necks.
Digital Leaders in the Time of Coronavirus
The 2020 edition of the Digital Cities Survey by the Center for Digital Government recognized cities of all sizes for deploying digital technology to empower pandemic responses.
Flying Taxis Prepare for Launch in Orlando
If a German-based startup gets its way, Central Florida will be the first region in the United States to fill the skies with flying taxis.
Red Line Extension to Chicago's Far South Side Making Steady Progress
A transit extension envisioned since the 1950s is this year making steady, tangible progress in the Windy City.