They Say It’s Heritage, Not Hate, But The Heritage Is Hate
The following is “The state’s long arm stops Memphis again,” from my 9:01 column published in The Commercial Appeal on October 26, 2016, followed by a June 24, 2015,...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 16, 2017 | City of Memphis Government, Parks and Greening
The following is “The state’s long arm stops Memphis again,” from my 9:01 column published in The Commercial Appeal on October 26, 2016, followed by a June 24, 2015,...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 14, 2017 | Civil Rights, Parks and Greening
It was not just that President Donald Trump did not defend this country’s most cherish values and the diversity that lies as a central strength. It was that when he did speak, he said that we should “cherish our history,” and...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 10, 2017 | Uncategorized
Tribalism is so easy to recognize when we see it from a distance of several thousand miles. We recognize it in the conflicts between Sunni and Shia Muslims...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 7, 2017 | City of Memphis Government, Planning and Urban Design
There is a lot of talk these days that we need a culture of planning, and that is true. Even more, we need a culture of following through. The truth is that...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 4, 2017 | City of Memphis Government
There are decisions that divide elected officials between politicians and statesmen and stateswomen. Instant Runoff Voting, or Ranked Choice Voting, is one of...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 2, 2017 | Economic Development, Planning and Urban Design, Taxation
It is not possible to think of a place in Memphis that more deserves a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district than Binghamton. In fact, it’s been 11 years in...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 31, 2017 | Criminal Justice, Trends and Issues
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Memphis are not just an attack on our Latino friends and neighbors. They are an attack on all of us. They are a...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 27, 2017 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Shelby County government, Taxation
It is an article of faith by many that handing out tax freezes conclusively sends a message that Memphis is a pro-business community. We think it does just...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 21, 2017 | Downtown Revitalization
Here are a few more comments from readers regarding downtown and the future of Downtown Memphis Commission 38103 says: It really does seem at this point it is a waiting game to see what...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 20, 2017 | Downtown Revitalization
The following is the conversation by our very smart readers and sparked by our recent post, City Council Members Take Aim At DMC and RDC: Anonymous says: The truth is that downtown...
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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.