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.
First Wave of Lawsuits to Litigate Michigan's Dam Catastrophe
After a series of failures last week sent flood waters spilling into Midland County, Michigan, property owners in the area are filing class action lawsuits to recoup their losses.
President's Record on Conservation Criticized
President Trump has weakened protections for 35 million acres of public land, despite repeating his intentions to surpass the model for conservation set by President Teddy Roosevelt.
The 2010s Didn't Live Up to Potential as the 'Decade of the City'
The renaissance predicted for urban areas in the United States started strong during the 2010s but slowed in the years leading up to a potentially generation defining pandemic.
Housing Relief Targets Multi-Family Property Owners in Chicago
The Emergency Relief for Affordable Multifamily Properties Program is designed to keep multi-family property owners from entering default.
Profiling NYC Transit's New President—Starting the Job Just Days Before a Global Crisis
Sarah Feinberg took over as the interim president of New York City Transit on March 2, 2020. In May 2020, Feinberg rides the subway to a deserted office to begin the work of bringing public transit back from an unprecedented crisis.