A Los Angeles native and longtime journalist, Josh Stephens has covered planning, land use, and architecture as an editor and freelance journalist for the better part of a decade. He succeeded Paul Shigley as the third editor of the California Planning & Development Report in February 2010. He is now a Contributing Editor of the publication.
Stephens previously edited The Planning Report and Metro Investment Report, monthly newsletters covering, respectively, land use and infrastructure in the Los Angeles region.
As a freelance writer Stephens has been a regular contributor to CP&DR, and he contributes frequently to, among others, Planetizen.com, Common Edge Collaborative, Metropolis, Next City, Sierra, InTransition, and Planning Magazine. He also writes for Planetizen's Interchange blog and contributes to its annual list of the top books in urban planning. He is the author of The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles, and Beyond, published by Solimar Books, and of Planners Across America, published by Planetizen Press.
Stephens holds a bachelor's degree in English from Princeton University and a master's in public policy from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He formerly taught high school journalism, English, and AP Geography at the Archer School in Los Angeles. He serves on the board of the Westside Urban Forum and on the Brentwood Community Council.
