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.
A Development Showdown Over Water in Rural Arizona
The battle for the future of Colorado River water, and whether it will be used for agriculture or new development, continues in Arizona.
Planning for Transit Oriented Development in a City of 40,000
Crystal Lake, Illinois offers a transit oriented planning case study on the edge of the Chicago metropolitan area.
Early Returns on Austin's New Density Bonus Program: 2,337 Affordable Housing Units
Since late 2019, developers who deliver affordable housing units in Austin have received bonuses in height, density, parking, and other regulatory metrics, leading to a large number of new affordable housing units in the pipeline.
Big Highway Widening Plan Faces Public Scrutiny in Maryland
First proposed in 2019, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's highway widening plan has been trimmed everywhere but the bottom line.
A Tour of New York City's Most Culturally Diverse Neighborhood
New York is a city of superlatives. A new series of walking tours around the city, led by the New York Times architecture critic, draws out the many examples of the city's exceptionalism.