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.

Opposing Bike Lanes in the Name of Historic Preservation
Can a bike lane threaten the historic character of a parkway? One group of local advocates in Denver thinks so.

Department of Transportation Caught in Political Tug of War in Oakland
The political debate surrounding the future of Oakland's streets has recently turned up a notch.

Answers to Key Questions about U.S. Immigration
The Pew Research Center this week released its most recent "Facts on U.S. Immigrants" report.

Report: Housing Construction Not Meeting Middle Class Needs
The construction industry is building less "attainable housing" than demanded by the market.

NACTO Releases Guidance on New Mobility Data
The National Association of City Transportation Officials is providing guidance for local governments to make sense of a flood of new mobility data from electric scooter companies, transportation network companies, and the like.