It’s The Region’s Economy, Stupid!
Our media air waves and political squares are dominated by talk about all manner of challenging issues, but they are largely silent on the single issue that ultimately has...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 22, 2015 | Economic Development, Poverty, Regionalism, Talent
Our media air waves and political squares are dominated by talk about all manner of challenging issues, but they are largely silent on the single issue that ultimately has...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 18, 2015 | City of Memphis Government
City of Memphis is the Rodney Dangerfield of government. Speakers at Memphis City Council and commenters on The Commercial Appeal website rail about City Hall corruption although no one has been charged with a crime in decades....
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 16, 2015 | Downtown Revitalization, Economic Development, Trends and Issues
As policymakers and regional leaders work to grow jobs and connect residents to economic opportunity following the Great Recession, where jobs locate matters....
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 14, 2015 | Education
It’s hard to think of any public policy area that is more prone to magic answers than education, whether it is the focus today on community colleges or yesterday’s idea that the...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 8, 2015 | Economic Development, Poverty
The purpose of a day-long conference last week was to pursue ways to reduce poverty, but in truth, it was most of all about developing a “superior growth model” for the Memphis...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 2, 2015 | City of Memphis Government, Civil Rights, Economic Development, Poverty
It’s hard to think of a discussion that’s more important to the future of Memphis than the one taking place tomorrow: it’s about City of Memphis’ plan to reduce poverty by 10...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 1, 2015 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development
The relationship between the Greater Memphis Chamber and local government is akin to the reply from the elderly wife who was asked the secret to her long marriage: “Can’t live with...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 28, 2015 | Downtown Revitalization
The following was posted not too long after Paul Morris took the helm of the downtown development agency. The post indicates progress that has been made and is a reminder of some things requiring attention. Originally posted...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 26, 2015 | Poverty, Tennessee Legislature
Despite conventional wisdom, Shelby County does not have the highest poverty rate of Tennessee’s 95 counties. In fact, Shelby County is #32. Because poverty is pervasive in so many Tennessee...
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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.