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.

New for 2019: A Congressional Caucus for Public Transit
A new congressional caucus has been formed under the assumption that federal transportation policy is regressive and discriminatory.

Watch: The Car-Centric Legal System, Explained
So many subsidies ensure the dominance of the automobile in the daily live of the United States, it's hard to keep track of them all. Law Professor Greg Shill is keeping track, however.

Car-Free Market Street Approved in San Francisco
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors approved the Better Market Street plan on October 15, 2019.

Light Rail Could Finally Get Priority Over Cars at Intersections in Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles controls the streets and the intersections crossed by the Expo Line as its connects Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monic and the beach. The city has made its first progress toward prioritizing trains. at those intersections

The Benefits of Transit to Real Estate Values
A new study, jointly produced by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), finds evidence of dramatic increases in the value of real estate located proximate to public transit.