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.

Homeless Housing Requirement Threatened by New York Politics
A bill that would require all developments financed by the New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development to include housing for the homeless is unpopular in the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Attracting Youth of Color to the Field of Planning
A leading youth engagement in planning program, explained.

Seattle Expands Speed Limit Reductions
After an initial wave of speed limit reductions in 2016, the city of Seattle will embark on a major expansion of speed limit reductions over the next 18 months.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: 'Erecting Pockets of Poverty'
The state of Connecticut deploys almost all of its federal housing funding in impoverished communities, according to this bombshell investigatory report.

Planning for Infill Growth Doesn't Guarantee Development: a Case Study
The city of Santa Rosa has made a concerted effort to plan for new development, but projects have yet to materialize.