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.
A Negative Review of 'Vision Zero'
The 'Vision Zero' movement to eliminate pedestrian deaths is fantastic. It is helping cities around the world create better, safer streets. The name and its embrace of absolutes dooms cities to failure.
Paris to Clear Streets of Cars for a Day
In perhaps the most aggressive move in the young history of tactical urbanism, the City of Light will clear not just one street or neighborhood, but rather an entire district of cars for 'Une Journée Sans Voiture' September 27.
Disturbing Similarities between Vegas and Pyongyang
Essayist and novelist Pico Iyer visits Las Vegas and Pyongyang in rapid succession to find that the capital of freedom and fun is not so dissimilar from the wan capital of the Hermit Kingdom.
America's Speed Limits Visualized
America's quilt of speed limits now reaches 85 MPH in some states, with increases possible in some western states. MetricMaps has produced a visualization of the top speed limits across the country and even in detail in urban areas.
Support for Rail Heats Up in Phoenix
A seven-year-old light rail line has beaten ridership projections and transformed neighborhoods in Phoenix. Now, one of the nation's most sprawling cities considers where to expand the system—and how to pay for it.