City of Memphis Takes Major Step Toward Funding Pre-K
There is no phrase better known in the contemporary history of Memphis politics than Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s “brilliant at the basics.” The four...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 19, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Education, Shelby County government, Taxation
There is no phrase better known in the contemporary history of Memphis politics than Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s “brilliant at the basics.” The four...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 16, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Education
This post is written by Jimmie Covington, veteran Memphis reporter with lengthy experience covering governmental, school, and demographic issues. He is a contributing writer with The Best Times, a monthly news magazine for...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 12, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Shelby County government, Taxation
The recent letter by FedEx executive Richard Smith critiquing the work of the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) will hopefully provoke a long overdue and fact-based...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 9, 2018 | Downtown Revitalization, Livability, Planning and Urban Design
One of the most encouraging changes that has come with the renewed momentum of Memphis has been the emphasis on urban design. This has not always been...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 7, 2018 | Economic Development, Poverty
This post is written by a favorite Memphis economist of ours, David Ciscel, former Chair of the Economics Department, Associate Dean of Fogelman School of Business, Dean of...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 5, 2018 | Poverty
It’s time for white America – and white Memphis and Shelby County – to finally take the unflinching look in the mirror that it has avoided for...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 1, 2018 | Poverty
I had the pleasure Tuesday night of moderating a panel discussion about Professor Elena Delavega’s seminal and challenging report about Memphis poverty over the past 50 years. The report and the panel discussion were sponsored...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 26, 2018 | Data Points, Economic Development
Percent increase of jobs in large metros comparing 2017 to 2016: 3.5 – Orlando MSA 3.2 – Nashville/Murfreesboro MSA 3.1 – Atlanta MSA 3.0 – Raleigh MSA 2.8 – Jacksonville...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 23, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Parks and Greening
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is a little more than a week away from fully understanding the phrase, “the buck stops here,” which was famously...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 21, 2018 | City of Memphis Government, Uncategorized
The Strickland Administration today launches a new City of Memphis website, which is, in truth, the first “real” website for city government. While the website has received a redesign, even more to the point, it has...
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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.