MATA’s Future Is Taxing Situation
A major obstacle to a successful future of Memphis is our tendency toward incrementalism. The problem is that at a time when we need to leap ahead of other cities, we are running in...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 9, 2012 | City of Memphis Government, Livability, Planning and Urban Design, Transportation
A major obstacle to a successful future of Memphis is our tendency toward incrementalism. The problem is that at a time when we need to leap ahead of other cities, we are running in...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 6, 2012 | City of Memphis Government, Taxation
We’ve been writing since December, 2010, about voluntary PILOT payments by nonprofit organizations to city governments. We’re reposting our most recent commentary about these payments in light of Memphis City...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jul 2, 2012 | Criminal Justice, Regionalism
One of the most precious whimsies of suburban politics is the conceit of innate exceptionalism that leads politicians to bouts of superiority when it comes to all things Memphis....
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 29, 2012 | Education
Just about the time we’re buying into the pervasive Memphis narrative of conflict and dysfunction, along comes the Transition Planning Commission. There’s little argument that controversy and...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 27, 2012 | Criminal Justice
We know what the FBI says about its Uniform Crime Report – the crime data shouldn’t be used to compare cities. We know what MPD says – every city reports crimes differently and we are...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 27, 2012 | Planning and Urban Design
If Memphis was a real estate business, we would say that it suffers from a low occupancy rate. If we ran a shopping center with this problem, we could spend some money making it...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 25, 2012 | Education
More than 100 years ago, abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass said it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults. Recently, Harvard economist Ed Glaeser, when asked for his advice for cities, said:...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 22, 2012 | Economic Development
This column is published in this week’s Tri-State Defender, and if you haven’t visited its new, improved website, check it out. Karanja Ajanaku and Bernal Smith are...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 21, 2012 | Economic Development, Neighborhoods, Planning and Urban Design
It’s always gratifying for us to see people who love Memphis and possess a vision to move it ahead have the opportunity to make it happen. When the three people are Charles Santo of...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Jun 19, 2012 | Economic Development, Education
Memphis has to do a lot right at the same time if it is to succeed in an economy where winners and losers are often determined by talent and connectivity. It’s the obstacle to...
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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.