Picking The Right Person For The Right Future For Shelby Farms Park
The appointment this week of 32-year-old Jen Andrews – described as “a 21st century leader for a 21st century park” – as the new executive director of Shelby...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 10, 2016 | Parks and Greening, Shelby County government
The appointment this week of 32-year-old Jen Andrews – described as “a 21st century leader for a 21st century park” – as the new executive director of Shelby...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 8, 2016 | Economic Development, Education, Livability, Talent
“We have to get more people to choose Memphis as home while also – at the same time – improve the circumstances for the people who live here. This is important: It’s not...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 7, 2016 | City of Memphis Government, Livability, Parks and Greening
Overton Park Conservancy issued the following position statement this afternoon. The statement makes the salient point that the contracting authority for City of Memphis rests with the mayor, not Memphis City Council. ...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 4, 2016 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Taxation
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland must feel like somebody who gets married, and shortly after returning from the honeymoon, the statements for his spouse’s maxed-out credit...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 3, 2016 | Uncategorized
Phyllis Betts comments about yesterday’s post about the looming housing crisis spotlighted by Brad Watkins of Peace and Justice Center: There is an immediate crisis that needs to be dealt with now. Perhaps through a...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Mar 2, 2016 | Leadership, Poverty
It’s easy to think in Memphis – with some of the lowest home prices in the nation – that we don’t have a housing problem. After all, among the 48 largest MSAs in the...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 29, 2016 | City of Memphis Government, Livability, Parks and Greening, Uncategorized
For as long as we can remember, the Memphis City Council has had the lowest approval rating in polling about local elected officials and governmental bodies. Those ratings have been aggravated in recent years by declining public...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 26, 2016 | City of Memphis Government
The following post from February 26, 2006, is the latest flash back in our series of blog posts from 10 years ago. Since this post, Pittsburgh has been reborn and just as we should have...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 24, 2016 | Leadership, Trends and Issues
There are times when it feels like there’s a nonprofit on every corner in Memphis. There’s a reason for that. The Memphis MSA, among the 50 largest metros, is #1 in the number...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 22, 2016 | Economic Development, Leadership, Regionalism
For the legendary all-star recording session in 1985 that produced the chart-topping charity single, “We Are The World,” record-setting producer Quincy Jones posted a sign: “Check...
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.