An Invitation to Join Us on Facebook
Over on our Facebook page, we’re posting several articles daily that deal with issues that are relevant for Memphis. We’ve asked what are the five best examples of placemaking in Memphis...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 1, 2014 | Uncategorized
Over on our Facebook page, we’re posting several articles daily that deal with issues that are relevant for Memphis. We’ve asked what are the five best examples of placemaking in Memphis...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 1, 2014 | Economic Development, Livability, Talent, Uncategorized
Part I was posted September 29: Today, we have many visions for key sectors that will determine the future of Memphis. The school reform agenda – with charters, Achievement School...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 29, 2014 | Economic Development, Livability, Talent
There are hopeful signs that the Memphis region’s economic decline has bottomed out, but there’s still little doubt that it will be a slog to get back to pre-Recession...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 26, 2014 | Shelby County government
To read the budget for Shelby County budget, there is the requirement to accept the following disclaimer, which seems the height of bureaucratic thinking. Thankfully, the City of Memphis budget is easily available and without...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 25, 2014 | Criminal Justice
From The Urban Child Institute’s Perceptions Commentaries: It’s now simply known as the Kroger incident, and it unleashed a torrent of anguish and anxiety about the state of Memphis youth. In the aftermath, many have...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 24, 2014 | Livability, Parks and Greening
We’ve never met Jim Duncan but we’re indebted to him. He retired earlier this month as executive director of the Memphis Botanic Garden after a decade of leadership. The transformation of Memphis Botanic Garden’s 96 acres during...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 22, 2014 | City of Memphis Government, Criminal Justice
When it comes to crime prevention, we behave an awful lot like we do when it comes to economic development. It’s largely one trick pony with too little attention to solving the...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 19, 2014 | Trends and Issues
For a couple of years, we were posting articles, columns, and studies in addition to our own posts. After getting several emails about information overload, we changed things three months ago. We began to primarily post the...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 17, 2014 | Poverty
The young man – African American, 23 years old – sat at a picnic table behind a Germantown assisted living facility with his head in his hands. He was exhausted and lost. He is working...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Sep 15, 2014 | Trends and Issues
There’s the regularly heard comment that nobody wants to move here and the only movement is from people moving out. Like most things these days, it’s not that simple. The truth is much...
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.