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.

Akon's City Dream Takes a Tentative First Step
Akoin, the cryptocurrency backbone of a new master planned smart city in Senegal, is available for purchase. Akon City could be the next dream to become a reality.

Two Bridges Across the Ohio River in Cincinnati Closed on the Same Day
Two of the transportation connections between Ohio and Kentucky in the Cincinnati metropolitan area were closed on the same day, leaving one side of the Ohio River cut off from the other.

Why Gwinnett County Rejected a Transit Tax Again
Coronavirus and a heavy rail project doomed a transit sales tax in Gwinnett County, Georgia, according to this election post-mortem.

Lessons From Rent Control's Latest Election Rejection
California voters, with a reputation for liberal politics, have repeatedly refused to approve statewide rent control laws at the ballot box.

Transit Plans Change as the Pandemic Lingers
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) this week proposed cuts to public transit service. In a decision that will likely repeat as more transit agencies undertake similar processes, the MBTA decided to prioritize buses over trains.