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.

Rising Costs Could End Phoenix's Municipal Recycling Program
The city of Phoenix will either have to raise the rate for waste removal int he city or cut programs like recycling.

Vancouver, Rain City
Vancouver has committed to green stormwater infrastructure by approving a Rain City Strategy that establishes an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan for each watershed in the city.

Study First to Link Air Pollution to Brain Cancer
The particulate pollution released by automobile travel can carry carcinogens to the brain, according to new research.

Developers Buy Land for 'Futuristic Mini-City' in Las Vegas
A development deal described as the most complex in recent Southern Nevada history is moving forward. The end result could be another digitally enabled city, in line with efforts in other cities like Toronto and TK.

Suburban Houston a Testing Ground for Autonomous Delivery Tech
The story of how the autonomous delivery company Nuro has taken to the streets of Houston to map the city and test its concept.