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.
Can Mayors Help Architects Stay Relevant?
According to an opinion piece by Mimi Zeiger, "urban magistrates are appearing more frequently as personas on the architectural scene as designers tackle questions of the fate of the city." What can design-savvy mayors offer architects?
'Housing New York' Would Invest $41 Billion in Affordable Housing
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the details of the "Housing New York" plan this week. The plan will guide the de Blasio Administration toward its goal of creating 200,000 affordable housing units in the city.
A Texas-Sized Commercial Property Tax Gambit
A pair of articles from the Dallas Morning News examine the inequities of property tax rates in Texas. Under the current system, commercial property owners in Dallas County "shaved more than $4.8 billion off preliminary tax appraisals."
Study Finds Deteriorating Service on New York City Subway System
A new study analyzes thousands of MTA 'electronic alerts' to identify trends. One finding in particular jumps out: the number of alerts has increased 35 percent in two years.
Agriculture Department Releases Five-Year Census Data—'Christmas for Farm Nerds'
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its 2012 Agriculture Census. The census provides data like how much wheat the state of Kansas produced and the average age of U.S. farm operators.