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.

Induced Demand Be Damned: Missouri Governor Proposes I-70 Expansion
Highway widenings still attract support from both sides of the political aisle, despite the inadequacies of the approach in solving the problems it intends to solve.

The Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity to Remake Downtown
Urban cores around the country were transforming into live, work, and play destinations before the pandemic. The pandemic was a setback for this transformation, but it could also be a rare opportunity. It’s up to city leadership to seize it.

Analysis: California’s Single-Family Zoning ‘Killer’ Barely Making a Dent So Far
Senate Bill 9, approved by the California State Legislature to much fanfare in 2021, has had little impact on the way local governments do development business, according to a recent analysis by researchers at the University of California.

Wave of Household Growth Likely Cresting, Relieving Crowded Housing Markets
A recent series of data on the growth of households in the United States reveals the unprecedented scale of housing demand in recent years.

$50 Billion Coastal Master Plan Updated in Louisiana
Louisiana is losing coastal lands, quickly, along with the habitat and economic resources located there. A Coastal Master Plan plots $50 billion in spending to protect the coast.