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.
Tactical Urbanism Takes Reno by Storm
Next City's "Urban Vanguard" fellows envision ways to use tactical urbanism to further the evolution of Reno, Nevada. Their presentations helped city leaders reconsider the ways the city thinks about itself.
Silicon Valley Cities' Complex Relationship with Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley isn't just an industry. It's also a place. Actually, a series of places. The dozen or so cities that make up the valley are increasingly wary of the corporate behemoths that are constantly expanding within their city limits.
How Urban Diversity Equals Neighborhood Segregation
Statistics sage Nate Silver crunches the numbers illustrating the relationship between U.S. cities' overall diversity and their neighborhood diversity. His conclusion: the greater diversity, the greater the segregation.
Metros Seek Balance Between Fragmentation and Amalgamation
As the world's cities grow ever larger, local governments constantly ask themselves which is better: amalgamating into one metro-wide government, or maintaining autonomy among fragmented jurisdictions? The answer remains unclear.
U.S. Cities Find Right Sizes for Their Greenbelts
A favorite in Europe but rare in the United States, urban growth boundaries are intended to keep cities compact and hinterlands green. The few American cities with UGB's are trying to figuring out how to use them effectively.