Month: December 2009
No Shrinking from the Facts about Memphis “Growth”
Posted by Smart City Memphis | Dec 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
Memphis is a shrinking city. We’re not talking about the slight decrease in the raw population numbers since 2000. Rather, we’re talking about the practical impact of significant population losses in the traditional city –...
Read MoreInnovations in Job Creation
Posted by Aaron Shafer | Dec 15, 2009 | Economic Development
My next few blog posts will focus on a corporation that single-handedly transformed an entire region suffering from economic depression. The story behind this corporation celebrates the magnificent achievement of the human...
Read MoreFeelings of Unworthiness Plague Public Options
Posted by Smart City Memphis | Dec 13, 2009 | Economic Development
Sometimes it seems almost impossible to overstate our city’s ability to tap into its rich vein of unworthiness to produce public policy that’s the civic equivalent of fool’s gold. As a result, we often end up trying to select...
Read MoreThis Week on Smart City: Pittsburgh, Comeback City
Posted by Smart City Memphis | Dec 12, 2009 | Uncategorized
Pittsburgh is the nation’s surprising comeback city. From its industrial past, Pittsburgh has become a city of Eds and Meds, with an unexpected focus on the environment. My guests today are part of the green...
Read More$1 Billion Economic Impact and No Tax Freezes
Posted by Smart City Memphis | Dec 11, 2009 | Uncategorized
Normally, for a billion dollar economic opportunity, Memphis will do just about anything. For a lot less, we gave The Pyramid to Sidney Shlenker on little more than a promise and a few architectural rendering. That house of...
Read MoreCauliflower Soup
Posted by Melissa Petersen | Dec 10, 2009
Whenever I talk about good food in Memphis, I am frequently met with surprise—from natives and visitors alike. There’s plenty of great food here (and I’m not talking about barbecue right now), but it’s a “use it or lose it”...
Read MoreGetting College Attainment to the Top of the City Agenda
Posted by Smart City Memphis | Dec 10, 2009
The importance of increasing the college attainment was on the marquee at FedEx Institute of Technology tonight and the stars turned out to put it front and center on the city’s agenda.\ Last night, Leadership Memphis announced...
Read MoreConfessions of a Transportation Policy Nerd
Posted by Emily Trenholm | Dec 9, 2009 | Transportation
When I went to planning school in preparation for a mid-life career change, I assiduously avoided anything having to do with transportation planning. Sure, I understood the connection between new road construction and urban...
Read MoreHear “What Makes Cities Successful”
Posted by Smart City Memphis | Dec 8, 2009
Our colleague Carol Coletta, president/CEO of CEOs for Cities in Chicago, will speak Wednesday about “What Makes Cities Successful – Talent and More” at FedEx Institute of Technology at University of Memphis...
Read MoreLatest Bill Day Cartoon
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 →
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About Smart City Memphis
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, City Journal columnist at Memphis magazine, author of two books and a museum exhibition, and consultant on public policy and strategic planning. He has written articles for MLK50, The Commercial Appeal, and USA Today. The blog was called one of the most intriguing blogs in the U.S. by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal said it “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 solve 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.