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.

Facebook AI Maps Population Density
Facebook expects to release its worldwide maps of human density in the coming months—potential applications will likely be somewhere on the spectrum between humanitarian and commercial.

Provincial Takeover of Subway Planning in Toronto Underway
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a new plan for subway expansion in Toronto today.

Interactive Mapping Tool Illustrates the Impact of California's Big Housing Bill
University of California, Berkeley researchers have mapped the impact of SB 50, a bill that would allow new density around train stations and bus stops in cities all over the state of California.

Study Measures the Economic Impact of Public Transit in the Cleveland Region
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority faces constant threats of budget cuts and service reductions, but its impact on the regional economic is vast.

EPA Scientists Warn: Climate Change Will Cost the U.S. Hundreds of Billions a Year
Experts are calling a recent study published by researchers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the most thorough examination yet of the potential impacts of climate change on the U.S. economy.