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.
North Lake Shore Drive Redo Falls Short of Bus Priority Expectations
Strong criticisms of the project alternatives under consideration by the Illinois Department of Transportation for the closely watched North Lake Shore Drive project.
Bike-Centered Brooklyn Bridge Redo Under Consideration
City officials in New York are discussing the possibility of converting a car traffic lane on the Brooklyn Bridge for use by people on bikes.
11 Years Later: Miami 21 Zoning Code Ready for an Update
Miami 21 was approved in 2009 and heralded as a sign of a new era in zoning. Since then, Miami 21 has been both credited and blamed for the city's transformation.
The Trump Administration's Environmental Policies Have Consequences for Black Lives
A Trump administration decision not to tighten Clean Air Act restrictions on soot pollution will have more consequences for Black Americans.
CDC Documents Racial Disparities of COVID-19 Illness
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides the federal government's most complete picture of the demographic data of COVID-19 illness.