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.
Form-Based Codes Explained as Covington's Neighborhood Development Code Takes Effect
The new form-based code for the Kentucky city of Covington went into effect on October 15. Officials are promoting the simplicity of the new code to the public.
A Short-Term Approach to Climate Change Planning
The climate change discussion is usually defined by timelines that reach the end of the century, but some cities are preparing for the future of an altered climate by taking a short-term approach.
The State of the Market for Second Homes, Prior to the Pandemic
Half of the nation's second homes are found in nine states, according to recent data analysis by the National Association of Home Builders, and building is likely to increase in vacation areas soon, according to one expert.
Seeing the Street
A San Francisco-based design studio describes the thought process behind an effort to push outdoor lighting design beyond the lowest common denominator allowed by bureaucracy and status quo thinking.
Pandemic's Economic Realities Bolster Case for a Land Value Tax
The example of Philadelphia shows how a land value tax could provide relief to residents and the city's finances.