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.
Small Towns in the Western U.S. Achieving Population and Economic Growth
A small town success story in Montana is indicative of a larger trend in the Western United States. Meanwhile, small towns in the rest of the country struggle.
Changes to Proposed NYC Pied-à-Terre Tax Will Yield Less Revenue for Transit
The real estate intervened, and a proposed pied-à-terre tax became a mansion tax.
A Big Week for Virgin Trains USA, Formerly Brightline, in Florida
Virgin Trains USA has the funding to start construction on a rail link between Orland and West Palm Beach, and the system has launched its official rebranding under its new ownership.
Protecting and Growing Cultural Facilities in Expensive Cities
Independent cultural institutions provide so much of what make cities world class, and they are a big part of the appeal for people who choose to live in highly urbanized areas. These days, cultural institutions are having a hard time affording rent.
Editorial Calls for Drastic Actions to Fix the Salton Sea
A Los Angeles Times editorial board sheds light on the ongoing environmental disaster of the Salton Sea in California, and the lack of action by the state to mitigate the worsening impacts.