James has a background in urban design, planning and surveying. His rangahau centres on the built environment, including papakāinga and collective housing models, alternative housing tenure pathways, and indigenous urbanism and urban design. He has held academic positions at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – University of Otago and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, along with private practice experience as a resource management planner and land development consultant. James is a recipient of the inaugural Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships, where he is developing a four-year research programme exploring symptoms of (and solutions for) mis- and disinformation in urban planning and design across Aotearoa.