Josh Stephens is the former editor of, and current contributing editor to, the California Planning & Development Report, the state's leading publication covering urban planning. Josh formerly edited The Planning Report and the Metro Investment Report, monthly publications covering, respectively, land use and infrastructure in Southern California.
As a freelance writer, Josh has contributed to Next American City, InTransition magazine, Planning Magazine, Sierra Magazine, and Volleyball Magazine. Josh also served as vice president of programs for the Westside Urban Forum, a leading civic organization on L.A.'s fashionable and dynamic Westside. Josh also served as editorial page editor of The Daily Princetonian and, briefly, the editor of You Are Here: The Journal of Creative Geography while he studied geography at the University of Arizona. He earned his BA in English from Princeton University and his master's in public policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Josh can often be found gazing from high vantage points wondering what it all means.
Confronting India's Urban Disaster
Contrary to popular belief, Beijing's air pollution is not nearly the worst in the world. The air of Delhi, India, is twice as polluted. For expats, this disaster raises important questions: is it ethical to live, and raise children, in India?
Shaking the 'Inner City' Stigma
The recent riots in Baltimore have revived the old stereotype of poor, crime-infested inner cities. Orlando Patterson argues in the New York Times that the truth about inner cities is much more nuanced and hopeful.
Boston Confronts the Origins of Its Lousy Architecture
For the first 300-or-so years of its history, Boston built some of the most handsome, historic neighborhoods in the country. Lately, says critic Rachel Slade, it has given in to mediocrity. Mayor Marty Walsh is trying to undo the damage.
Census Data: City Growth Strong, but Limited
Rates of growth in America's largest cities increased dramatically in 2010 but have leveled off. Suburbs are growing at nearly identical rates to center cities.
British-Backed Megadevelopment Slated for...Albuquerque
A master-planned community proposed for land owned by the British bank Barclay's on the outskirts of Albuquerque would be New Mexico's second-largest city on full build-out. Opponents say it would also be a major water hog in a painfully arid state.