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.
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.
The Wisdom of Taxing Land for What It's Worth
Most cities in the United States tax land according to what an owner builds on it. That's great if you're an owner, but lousy if you're a city that wants something cool built on it. The solution: tax it according to what an owner can build on it.
China's Inland Cities Hit Their Stride
China has added to the ranks of the world's megacities at a ridiculous clip. Even so, inland cities have tended to languish in anonymity. With new policies and economic orientations, the Chonquings are starting to compete with the Shanghais.