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.

Affordable Housing Central to SoHo Rezoning Debate
There's no draft rezoning plan for SoHo yet, but there's plenty of controversy.

Mapping the Land Uses of the United States
The McHarg Center's "The 2100 Project: An Atlas for the Green New Deal" provides a series of maps an infographics to illustrate the way the United States uses land.

Houston Will Not Be a Fare-Free Transit City
In case anyone was getting carried away with the idea of fare-free transit, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County has some cold water to pour on the conversation.

Parks of Inclusion
The people sitting, playing, and enjoying themselves in parks aren't always representative of the population that live in the communities. Here are three examples of parks that succeed at inclusion.

Cuomo's LaGuardia AirTrain Plan has a High-Profile Skeptic
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed disappointment with a plan to build an AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport in a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration.