David Ciscel: Low Wages and Economic Development in Memphis
This post was written by a favorite Memphis economist of ours, David Ciscel, former Chair of the Economics Department, Associate Dean of...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 8, 2018 | Economic Development
This post was written by a favorite Memphis economist of ours, David Ciscel, former Chair of the Economics Department, Associate Dean of...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 7, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Taxation, Tennessee Legislature
Just when there was a glimmer of hope that Tennessee Senator Brian Kelsey was growing up, he pushes more anti-government legislation that indicates yet again the...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 5, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Downtown Revitalization, Livability
It is said that a city’s monuments reflect its core values, which was a primary reason that Memphis’ Confederate statues had to go. In the coming 15 months,...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 1, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Trends and Issues
The Strickland Administration takes firm and important steps today in moving Memphis up in the rankings of “data-smart cities” with the additions of a new data website...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jan 29, 2018 | Data Points
The following are data for the Memphis MSA TN-MS-AR. It requires no commentary to see the lost economic power that results from income disparities and the...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jan 26, 2018 | City of Memphis Government
In observance of the Memphis Bicentennial in May, 2019, we will feature regular posts about Memphis as it moved toward its founding and the slow...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jan 24, 2018 | Economic Development
In Monday’s blog post, Now What? Life After Amazon’s Rejection, we wrote: “But if you’re looking for a theme for the finalists, it is quality. Where the Memphis metro decided...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jan 22, 2018 | Economic Development
So, can we now turn lemons into lemonade in the wake of the Amazon announcement that our community didn’t make the company’s Top 20 list? The odds were always...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jan 18, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Education
It’s impossible to criticize Memphis City Council’s support for pre-K for every child, and the collaboration between Patrice Robinson and...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jan 15, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Parks and Greening
There are three proposals for zoo parking in Overton Park and we need a fourth, because all three of the officially submitted proposals are fatally flawed – they all unnecessarily devour three acres of parkland. There’s little...
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, 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.