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.

From ‘Urban Exodus’ to ‘Urban Doom Loop’
The initial shocks of the Covid 19 pandemic have become more persistent, and it’s time to start wondering what comes next for the communities on either side of the changes.

Some States Use More Highway Funding for Transit Than Others
A news study brings the receipts on state and regional transportation spending.

Free Rides, Overnight Service Considered for Metro Transit in D.C.
Washington, D.C. councilmembers are making a bold commitment to public transit.

Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae to Back $1 Million Mortgages
Expensive housing markets are about to cross a symbolic threshold.

Controversial Agreement Yields Funding for Salton Sea Restoration
An unprecedented, but deeply controversial, agreement changes the equation for the Colorado River and the Salton Sea.