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.
Utah Oil Shale Plans—'First Commercial Production In Decades'
A proposal to build and operate the first commercial oil shale production facility “in decades” near the Book Cliffs in Utah is meeting legal opposition from environmental groups.
Report: Caltrans Systematically Quelled Bay Bridge Safety Concerns
Instagram images and group bike rides now celebrate the Bay Bridge’s eastern span, but the bridge’s long construction process was a constant source of concern. A new report details what went wrong to (hopefully) prevent future mistakes.
Report: Millennials Only Have Conditional Love for Philly
Like many cities amidst an influx of Millennials, Philadelphia must solve problems with crime and eduction for the young generation to stay. A new report from Pew Charitable Trusts indicates many Millennials have no intentions of sticking around.
Friday Funny: Subway Signage Prankster Disrupts Commute Drudgery
There’s a note of melancholy over the human condition in the work of a prankster who has been plastering satirical images and messages around cars on the London Underground.
South Lake Shore Drive Extended in Chicago; Huge Mixed-Use Development to Follow
The October opening of a new 1.9-mile stretch of road on Chicago’s Southside anticipates a 40-year master plan for the Lakeside development—600 acres of new development in the middle of one of the country’s largest cities.