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.

Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan: First Regional Transit Plan for Baltimore Since 2002
Transit planners in the Baltimore area are working on plans for a more reliable, useful regional transit system.

Opinion: Less Restrictive Zoning Necessary for Urban Areas to Lead Recovery
An opinion piece makes the case for pro-development urban planning as a tool of economic recovery.

Survey Data on Coronavirus Effects Reveal Racial Lines
The economic and health effects of coronavirus have spread unevenly across racial lines in the United States, as further revealed by new research from the Pew Research Center.

Crisis Could Result in a More Sustainable Food System
The food system, from supply to distribution and consumption, is undergoing a rapid transformation. Community supported agriculture could potentially benefit.

Court Decision Clears the Way for East River Greenway Bike Bridge
A community group had sued to prevent the construction of a bridge in Clara Coffey Park in New York City. The court ruled in the favor of the city's plans.