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.

A Call for Youth Involvement in Planning the Future
Planning for the future should involve people who are going to live the future.

Scooter Pilot Comes to a Close in Chicago
Chicago's heavily debated electric scooter rental pilot comes to a close today. The debate about how to treat electric scooter rentals in the future also begins today.

New Supertall Skyscraper Coming to Manhattan
The latest supertall addition to the New York skyline departs from the recent glut of skinny residential buildings popping up in Manhattan. The new building at 270 Park Avenue will have significantly more girth and be filled with offices.

Loop Trolley on the Ropes in St. Louis
Extremely poor ridership might be dooming the St. Louis Loop Trolley less than a year after it opened to the public.

Governor's Veto Kills Complete Streets Requirements for Caltrans
California Governor Gavin Newsom over the weekend vetoed a bill that would have required the state's department of transportation to consider public transit as well as bike and pedestrian infrastructure when planning projects on state-owned roads.