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.
Back from the Dead—FutureGen Clean Coal Project Approved
Once left for dead by the Bush Administration and subsequently revived by the Obama Administration, the FutureGen clean coal project was granted approval by the U.S. Department of Energy. Construction could begin this year.
What the Data Says About Life in the City
Cities can be undersold or oversold in equal measure, but they never fail to present a shortage of data. With its #citydata series, This Big City explores the sometimes surprising facts about cities that emerge from the din of urban life.
Graphing the Rise and Fall of Metro Populations
A mesmerizing presentation of the narrative arc of the United State’s 20 most populated metropolitan areas reveals the evolving weave of interrelationships that make up the country's urban settlements.
AIA Honors D.C. Metro Designer Harry Weese among 2014 Awards
Following on the well-publicized heals of its posthumous Gold Award honor for Julia Morgan, the American Institute of Architects recently announced its complete roster of 2014 Honor Awards.
$1 Billion Miami Beach Convention Center Plans Back to the Drawing Board
A new mayoral administration in Miami Beach has cancelled a $1 billion plan to redevelop 52-acres around the city’s convention center, scrapping the plans of a design-build team that included Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas.