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.

State Supreme Court Upholds Food Truck Regulations in Chicago
A question of whose business is suppressing whose in the city of Chicago was decided by the State Supreme Court.

Drop the Ballyhoo: Where Do Educated Millennials Actually Live?
A common narrative about Millennials: their preference for urban environments like San Francisco and New York City. To what degree is the stereotype real?

Census Releases New City Population Change Estimates
The U.S. Census released new population and housing units estimates for cities today. Phoenix added more residents between July 2017 and July 2018 than any city in the country.

Zoning Changes Produce Quick Development Results in a Colorado Town
In September, the city of Longmont, Colorado approved new land use and zoning laws. By April, developers were proposing thousands of residential units and hundreds of thousands of square feet in commercial space.

Shifting Priorities to Solve a Transportation Infrastructure Deficit
The Colorado Department of Transportation is announcing a public listening tour to prepare for a new ten-year strategic plan, called "Your Transportation Plan." Public transit and a new regional approach are already talking points.