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.

On Foot: Planners Complete Street Safety Inventory One Step at a Time
Before drafting a new Pedestrian Master Plan for Montgomery County, planners are creating a detailed inventory of street conditions by walking every single one fo the county's roads and streets.

Sea-Level Rise Would Be Worse for Coastal Cities Than Previously Thought
A new model for expected sea-level rise raises alarms about the need to adapt to sea-level rise in coastal cities all over the world.

Democratic Candidates Forget Transportation Emissions When Making Climate Plans
Multiple sources analyze the green credentials of the campaign platforms of the remaining field of Democrats vying for the highest office in the land and find one conspicuous absence: plans for reducing driving.

Philadelphia Searching for New Affordable Housing Tools
Two proposed pieces of legislation would create a new revenue stream for Philadelphia's affordable housing efforts and protect tenants of existing affordable units.

Urban and Suburban Lifestyles More Similar Than Thought, Study Says
The differences in the ways people who live in the city spend their time versus the way people who live in suburbs spend their time are few and small.