Facts on Firing Line in Labor Firefights
Despite protests to the contrary, the Memphis firefighters union’s statement connecting tax freezes and city budgets (in its case, pension funding) was not an illogical connection...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 9, 2014 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Taxation
Despite protests to the contrary, the Memphis firefighters union’s statement connecting tax freezes and city budgets (in its case, pension funding) was not an illogical connection...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 7, 2014 | City of Memphis Government, Livability, Parks and Greening
The recent issue of the Memphis Flyer featured an update on the controversy concerning zoo parking on the greensward at Overton Park, but the most interesting aspect...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 7, 2014 | Downtown Revitalization, Uncategorized
In 2008, former design director of the National Endowment for the Arts, architect, planner, and author Jeff Speck suggested that Memphis should return traffic to Main Street’s pedestrian mall. Buffalo is doing just that,...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 2, 2014 | Economic Development, Talent
It’s hard to think of an issue that’s been discussed more in recent years than talent. Usually, the “t” word is used interchangeably with “young professionals,” referring to 25-34...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 30, 2014 | Economic Development
Back in September, 2005, we wrote about economic gardening and urged the Greater Memphis Chamber to adopt it as a priority. Economic gardening is an alternative to the traditional economic development recruiting aimed at...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 26, 2014 | Downtown Revitalization, Livability, Uncategorized
The opening this week of Beale Street Landing gives Memphis an opportunity to test its civic maturity. The challenge is whether we can set aside our gripes and grievances and give this much-needed addition to the riverfront a...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 23, 2014 | City of Memphis Government, Taxation
There is no drama in local government that rivals the drama of a tough budget year, but this year is the Towering Inferno of city budgeting. City of Memphis budget hearings have...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 19, 2014 | City of Memphis Government, Shelby County government, Trends and Issues
The World Wide Web turned 25 years old three months ago, and any organization that is serious about communicating, persuading, and informing is on it. Of all those organizations, no sector does as poorly as government in...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 16, 2014 | Downtown Revitalization, Planning and Urban Design, Transportation
Here’s another Jeff Speck recommendation whose time has come: ending the one-way streets in downtown Memphis. His suggestion for making Riverside Drive a complete street was implemented as a pilot project recently, and in...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 13, 2014 | Arts and Culture, Livability, Neighborhoods
The new Hattiloo Theatre in Overton Square will open in a few weeks, and it will be a testament to one of Memphis’s most talented citizens: Ekundayo Bandele. And yet, he would be the first to tell you that it is also a...
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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.