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.
Demolitions Can't Keep Pace With Vacancies in Baltimore
As the city of Baltimore grapples with a declining population, it faces obstinate challenges in controlling the problems associated with vacant buildings, including the "vicious cycle" of vacancies causing more vacancies.
Sacred Island Returned to the Wiyot Tribe, 160 Years After it Was Stolen
The city of Eureka has returned ownership of Duluwat Island, the site of a brutal massacre in 1860 and also a deeply sacred site, to the Wiyot Tribe.
Cities Report Declining Revenues
The annual "City Fiscal Conditions" report by the National League of Cities delivers a warning signal about the state of the economy.
What if the Greenest Building Isn't the One Already Standing?
Renovating old buildings instead of demolishing them as the better "green" option is preservation orthodoxy. But what if the decision between renovation and demolition is less than clear-cut?
After Compromise, 'Streets Master Plan' Headed for Approval in New York City
The New York City Council is expected to pass a "Streets Master Plan" this week that City Council Speaker Corey Johnson describes as designed to "break the car culture."