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.

The Potential Costs of the Trump Administration's Proposed Cuts to HUD Funding
Housing advocates blame the neglect of the federal government on the state of public housing in the United States. The Trump administration says government can't keep throwing money at the problems of public housing.

And Now, Some Good News for the Environment
It's not all gloom and doom for the environment.

Trump Pulls $1 Billion from California High Speed Rail Project
The California High Speed Rail Project is a political pawn in a contentious back and forth between the Golden State and the Trump administration.

Friday Funny: The Onion Gets Weird With Climate Politics
We really didn't see this one coming.

Choosing Incentives Over Mandates for Minimum Urban Densities
Washington's House Bill 1923 is one of a number of bills under consideration this year on the West Coast that attempts to leverage the power of the state for the sake of new development.