by Smart City Memphis (RSS) Economic Development | September 28th, 2012 12:07am CDT | 3 Comments
With EDGE talking about undertaking a $350,000 economic development plan, we’ll be reposting some articles on this subject. We’ll offer a new post on this subject in a few days. Here’s a post from April 25, 2011: We may talk a good game about talent, but it’s time that at the top of our [...]
by SCM (RSS) City of Memphis Government, Politics and Government | September 26th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From Governing: By Stephen Goldsmith: Public officials face constant and daunting challenges in solving everyday problems as the crisis of the day crowds out the time to tackle larger issues. Moving forward on these broader issues requires a process and an operation separate from those responsible for day-to-day responsibilities. Good leadership requires that the success [...]
by Smart City Memphis (RSS) Economic Development, Transportation | September 26th, 2012 12:46am CDT | Comments Off
Earlier this week, we posted our four modest proposals to address the crisis at Memphis International Airport. The suggestions were to: 1) reform the airport authority with more reasonable terms of office and oversight; 2) begin a national search for the next president of the Airport Authority to identify someone with specific experience [...]
by SCM (RSS) Livability, Neighborhoods | September 25th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From Atlantic Cities: Like the old New Yorker cartoon, New Yorkers think we define American culture. So all this talk about Brooklyn dying as the epicenter of hipsterdom worries us. Many who once celebrated the borough are now questioning its status, such as artist James Kalm and the author Robert Anasi. Kalm writes in The Brooklyn Rail [...]
by SCM (RSS) Economic Development, Taxation | September 24th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From Fox Business: The high-stakes game of corporate relocation can have a huge economic impact on the bottom lines of both companies and states. Even the threat of relocating, such as the subtle one fired off by Illinois-based Caterpillar (CAT) last week, can have a lasting impact on profits and recruitment efforts. While states vying [...]
by Smart City Memphis (RSS) City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Shelby County government | September 24th, 2012 12:09am CDT | 1 Comment
Four months ago, we created a new Facebook group called Delta Does Memphis. Back at the creation of Delta Does Memphis, we envisioned three phases to the campaign: 1) it would give voice to our frustrations and complaints and bring us together to call for change; [...]
by SCM (RSS) City of Memphis Government | September 21st, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From Next American City: Urban Nation is an occasional column by Harry Moroz, NAC’s federal correspondent, on the latest urban-related policy issues in Washington. Politicians always pay the same compliment to mayors: That mayors know how to get things done. In his speech to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, former President Bill [...]
by Smart City Memphis (RSS) Civil Rights, Leadership | September 21st, 2012 12:45am CDT | 2 Comments
Every successful movement is the result of hundreds and thousands of individuals motivated by a common aspiration. That was certainly the case with the Memphis City Council approval this week of a policy to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. And like most movements, this [...]
by SCM (RSS) City of Memphis Government | September 20th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From Atlantic Cities: You probably know about a couple of ways to log formal gripes with your city about things like downed tree limbs, crummy garbage service, or graffiti. You could call up your councilmember, or file a 3-1-1 ticket, or even turn up for a public meeting. Many cities have long been trying to [...]
by Smart City Memphis (RSS) City of Memphis Government, Civil Rights | September 20th, 2012 12:45am CDT | 2 Comments
City Hall attorneys threw a monkey wrench in a night for celebration with the 7-5 passage of an amendment to city government’s anti-discrimination ordinance when they raised questions in the bottom of the ninth inning. It pointed out how difficult it is to get some things done in government because [...]
by SCM (RSS) Livability, Parks and Greening | September 19th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From Sustainable Cities Collective: By Ucce Agada – a Learning Architect using photography, writing and concept design to establish himself in the world of Architecture, Design and Social Responsibility. Amidst the automobile infested concrete space of most modern cities (and if, like me, you’re in Chicago, the uncivil pigeon population) are spaces which allow for community to [...]
by SCM (RSS) Economic Development, Education | September 18th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From 4% Growth Project: What makes cities grow? This question is the subject of countless magazine articles peddling lists of “best cities” and is fodder for consulting firms looking to sell advice. But in reality, the most reliable measure of a city’s future health is whether employment is expanding or contracting. Declining cities are [...]
by Mark James (RSS) Arts and Culture, Livability, Planning and Urban Design | September 17th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | 1 Comment
If all goes as it should, in a few years a museum celebrating the work of William Eggleston will open in Overton Park in Midtown, the heart of the Memphis arts community. No other visual artist from Memphis has had such a profound effect on the fine arts. Arguably, no other American photographer has had [...]
by Smart City Memphis (RSS) City of Memphis Government, Civil Rights, Economic Development | September 17th, 2012 12:20am CDT | 2 Comments
Memphis, through its elected City Council, has an opportunity Tuesday to demonstrate our maturity as a city. It is an opportunity to prove that Memphis is a fair and just city. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that we are welcoming community. It is an opportunity to affirm that [...]
by SCM (RSS) Downtown Revitalization, Livability | September 14th, 2012 3:02pm CDT | Comments Off
From citiwire: It’s a dark andark and wintry Thursday night in Copenhagen, and the streets are bustling. The temperature stands above freezing, but winds blow hard enough to knock down a good share of the bicycles parked all around. Scandinavians are known for stolid reserve, but it’s all smiles and animated conversation here as people [...]
by Smart City Memphis (RSS) Neighborhoods, Planning and Urban Design | September 14th, 2012 12:26am CDT | 2 Comments
An email we received about Urban Indifference: Unfortunately, we do indeed have many topics for you to cover in an Urban Indifference series. Two U.I. areas that come to mind are: 1) Streets and Sidewalks – I think Councilman Fords idea of a tax is interesting to address the sad fact that our streets are [...]
by SCM (RSS) Neighborhoods | September 13th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From Better Cities and Towns: I live in a city that is currently updating its Community Plans. This is an historically difficult planning job because Community Plans transcends both broad policy statements (such as the amorphous “New development should be in harmony with surrounding development…”) and specific development regulations (“Front yard setbacks shall be 25 [...]
by Smart City Memphis (RSS) Education, Poverty, Talent | September 13th, 2012 12:27am CDT | 2 Comments
There is much to celebrate in Memphis these days and there is a new willingness to take risks and it has produced a new momentum for change. The challenge now is to take the lessons we’ve learned and channel them to now tackle the toughest problems facing the [...]
by SCM (RSS) Livability, Parks and Greening | September 12th, 2012 3:09pm CDT | Comments Off
We wrote recently about the need for a Memphis riverfront event, and one of the best event planners we know recommended Chattanooga’s River Rocks as one of the best in the U.S. Here’s a video:
by SCM (RSS) Livability, Neighborhoods, Parks and Greening | September 11th, 2012 3:00pm CDT | Comments Off
From The Nature of Cities: Walk through any major city and you’ll see vacant land. These are the weed lots, garbage strewn undeveloped spaces, and high crime areas that most urban residents consider blights on the neighborhood. In some cases, neighbors have organized to transform these spaces into community amenities such as shared garden spaces, [...]
by Eric Mathews (RSS) Economic Development | September 11th, 2012 12:04am CDT | 1 Comment
Note: We’re proud that Eric Matthews is contributing the following post. Eric Mathews is founding CEO and co-president of LaunchYourCity, Inc., a nonprofit that works to empower entrepreneurial action, reduce barriers to success, and build Memphis as a venture city that elevates talent and high-growth startup companies. Eric is also interim Executive Director of EmergeMemphis, [...]
by SCM (RSS) Leadership, Politics and Government | September 10th, 2012 3:05pm CDT | Comments Off
We might wish the uproar from the convention halls of both parties these busy weeks were the wholesome clamor of delegates deliberating serious visions of how we should be governed for the next four years. It rises instead from scripted TV spectacles – grown-ups doing somersaults of make-believe – that will once again distract the [...]
by Bill Day. Memphian Bill Day is two-time winner of the RFK Journalism Award in Cartooning. His cartoons are syndicated internationally by Cagle Cartoons. Cartoons Archive →
Photograph by Amie Vanderford
This ongoing series of photographs is intended to show the daily lives of these single mothers in order to invoke recognition of their similarities to all mothers, along with understanding and empathy from the viewer of the strengths that these single mothers possess within the challenging situations they face. My hope is that newfound empathy with these mothers’ lives will give people some pause before they condemn single mothers when discussing issues such as welfare and other politically charged hot buttons.
