My USA Today Column: Trump’s Road Show Visits Memphis
Note: USA Today asked for a column about Donald Trump’s recent visit to Memphis, where he...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Apr 2, 2026 | Uncategorized
Note: USA Today asked for a column about Donald Trump’s recent visit to Memphis, where he...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 30, 2026 | State Government, Tennessee Legislature, Uncategorized
There is a narcissistic brand of arrogance that flourishes in the supermajority in the Tennessee...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 25, 2026 | Economic Development
Part 1, Monday, March 23, 2026 – Note: Memphis’ hub of innovative thought and action...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 23, 2026 | Data Points, Economic Development
Memphis regularly extols achievements in its rearview mirror while ignoring the potential right in...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 19, 2026 | Uncategorized
Cartoonist Bill Day never fails to prove the point that a picture – in his case, a cartoon – is...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 17, 2026 | Federal Government
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 12, 2026 | City of Memphis Government, Shelby County government
Note: A candidate for county office recently advanced consolidation as an issue that deserves more...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 10, 2026 | Economic Development, Regionalism, Uncategorized
The December 1, 2025, Smart City Memphis blog post offered a historical context for the multiple...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 5, 2026 | Taxation
It appears that Germantown is barreling ahead to approve the first TIF tax break to developers in...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 2, 2026 | City of Memphis Government, Parks and Greening
Note: Following the publication of this post, I’ve received varying versions of what led to...
Read More
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 →
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.