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 Laws Amount to Single-Family Zoning Ban in California
For years, the California legislators have been passing bills to allow accessory dwelling units on single-family residential lots. These laws haven't attracted the same attention as other failed laws, but their effect is significant.
Miracle on 14th Street
Predictions of carmageddon have not come to pass after New York City blocked most car traffic of a section of 14th Street in Manhattan to make way for buses.
The Case for Gender Mainstreaming in Transportation Planning
Like the curb cut effect achieved by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which benefitted a much larger cross-section of the population than the legislation originally intended, gender mainstreaming could multiply benefits in the public realm.
Zoning Stifles New Construction in D.C.'s Pricey Neighborhoods
New research by Jenny Schuetz shows that already-expensive neighborhoods in D.C., zoned for low-density single-family homes, are not doing their part in adding new supply to meet rising demand.
Conflicts of Interest on the CA High-Speed Rail Authority Under Investigation
The beleaguered plan to build a bullet train to connect Northern California and Southern California suffered a public relations setback last month when it was revealed that a boardmember was under investigation for a conflict of interest.