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.
Port of San Francisco, Army Corps of Engineers Planning for Rising Bay Waters
A massive climate adaptation planning effort is underway for the docks (and seawalls and landfill) of the San Francisco Bay.
The Culture Clash at State DOTs Over Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Whether state departments of transportation support or oppose a new rule aimed at reining in carbon emissions in transportation reflects an urban-rural, red-blue divide.
Lawsuit Challenges Maryland's Big Highway Widening Plans
A lawsuit has challenged Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's plans, first proposed in 2017 and granted federal approval earlier this year, to widen Interstate 270 and part of the Capital Beltway.
Open Streets and Outdoor Dining Are Best for Business, Report Says
Most business owners believe that they'd be out of business without on-street parking near their front door. The experience of New York City during the pandemic proves otherwise.
Zoning Changes Intended to Spur Redevelopment in Haledon, New Jersey
The borough of Haledon is hoping that less restrictive zoning will spur a new wave of development and economic activity along one of the city's commercial corridors.