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.

Casino Developer Wants Out of Expressway On-Ramp Plan in Philadelphia
There is a lot of development and planning intrigue about a casino developer and the extremely challenging plan to add an on-ramp to the Schuylkill Expressway in South Philadelphia.

The Climate Has Already Changed
A big feature explores the effects of climate change, which are already very much changing life in the United States.

Battle of the Bay: Oakland Ahead of San Francisco in Housing Construction
Call it a role reversal: Oakland is building far more apartments and housing units than San Francisco—a reversal of the history of development in the Bay Area.

State Law Allows for Local Reform of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act
Reform of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) is underway at the local level after a new state bill offered "safe harbor" under the law for a menu of land use and development reforms.

Swapping One Tax for Another to Fund Bus Improvements
Cincinnati area voters might get a chance to decide the future of transit funding in the city of Cincinnati and the county of Hamilton.