Governor Withholds $150-185 Million From Shelby County
It’s no wonder what poor people often have low expectations. The reason: it is so often justified. They were reminded of this again when...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 30, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Poverty
It’s no wonder what poor people often have low expectations. The reason: it is so often justified. They were reminded of this again when...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 28, 2019 | Economic Development, Talent
Memphis suffers from low expectations. I’m not talking about the lack of self-confidence – if not self-respect – that was a defining characteristic of Memphis for...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 24, 2019 | Economic Development
As Memphis works to transition from the workforce of the 1980s to one that can compete in a twenty-first-century economy of innovation and technology, the University of Memphis...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 21, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Downtown Revitalization
After the initial reaction to the rendering for the long-awaited pedestrian bridge connecting Bass Pro Shops with the Pinch Historic District, we’re confident that...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 18, 2019 | Downtown Revitalization, Livability, Planning and Urban Design
In light of the Downtown Memphis’ Commission’s review of downtown parking and ways to make it more effective and efficient, we are posting a commentary by retired UCLA...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 16, 2019 | Uncategorized
As we watch local government officials who can’t seem to get the facts straight or understand...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 14, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development
In 1997, legendary musician, singer, and producer Jim Dickinson – whose reputation extended far beyond Memphis as he rubbed shoulders as a peer with the Rolling Stones, Big...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 11, 2019 | City of Memphis Government
By Shirley Bondon October 3, 2019: Did Memphis Speak? Is Silence Agreement or Consent? On October 3, 2019, 96,425 Memphians, 20 percent of the adult population of Memphis, elected the...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 9, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Shelby County government, Taxation
Memphis ranks high in the percentage of land that is not producing property taxes, and while the PILOT program is the easy one to blame, the proliferation of nonprofit...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 7, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Taxation
In Thursday’s election, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland got what every mayor wants: not just a victory but a mandate. With his margin of victory, Mr. Strickland lapped former Mayor Willie W. Herenton who came in second, gaining...
Read Moreby 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 →
Since 2005, this has been Smart City Consulting’s blog with the aim of connecting the dots and providing perspective on issues and policies shaping Memphis. Editor and primary author is Tom Jones, columnist, author of two books, and consultant on public policy. Smart City Memphis was called one of the most intriguing blogs in the U.S. by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal wrote that “Smart City Memphis provides some of the most well-thought-out thinking about Memphis’ past, present, and future you’ll find anywhere,” and the Memphis Flyer said: “This incredibly well-written blog sets out to solves the city’s ills – from the mayor to MATA – with out-of-the-box thinking, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ideas. If you have questions, submissions, or ideas for posts, please email Tom Jones, at tjones@smartcityconsulting.com.