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.

Amtrak Connection Between Indianapolis and Chicago Cut by State Budget
The state of Indiana didn't have $3 million to spare to keep the Hoosier State Amtrak passenger rail line operational.

Fighting for the Right to Drive in an Autonomous Future
There is a growing movement of humans who don't like the idea of being forced to hand the wheel over to robot drivers.

The Least Popular Planning Articles of 2019
An unscientific dip into Planetizen traffic data for the first three months of 2019 reveals the planning stories readers couldn't care less about.

What Denver's Big 2040 Comprehensive Plan Means for 2019
Important distinctions about the difference between a comprehensive plan and zoning code changes, as well as details of the form-based influences of the new Denveright 2040 plan are reported here.

Democrats Make Peace With Trump for the Sake of a $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
Details about what the federal infrastructure plan would spend money, or where it would get the money to spend, have yet to be revealed.