Author: Smart City Memphis

More and more, we wonder how deep the hole can get before Memphis has no chance of getting out of it.It was a question we asked again in light of recent updates of Memphis demographic information by the U.S. Census Bureau. It...

Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter’s six-week school funding conversation has reached consensus, and it’s pretty hard to argue with most of the conclusions.After a process that included meetings, online questions, letters...

Maybe Republican presidential candidate John McCain should have selected Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton as his running mate.After all, he has as many constituents and 14 more years of executive experience than Alaska Governor...

This week, Smart City will examine cities in history and how their past shapes their future.Ed Glaeser is the first guest, and he is always asking the question, “What makes cities work?” He is a prolific researcher...

There’s the widely-held belief in corporate American that in times of great financial stress, an effective manager can cut as much as 15 percent of the budget at any time without doing serious damage to the company.It’s hard to...

University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza could have been talking to us.Speaking to the convocation of Florida International University late last year, he talked about “how urban universities create a competitive advantage,”...

There’s a certain level of angst that surfaces this time each year because the football team at University of Memphis isn’t in the top 100 in pre-season rankings.As University of Memphis graduates, all of us here do care about...

In the aerotropolis sweepstakes, Detroit is the first city to take flight.There, the Detroit Region Aerotropolis has used the nation’s latest economic development big idea as a vehicle for regionalism, bringing together...

This week on Smart City Richard Florida is our guest. He predicted the rise of the Creative Class, and now he says where you live is the most important decision you’ll ever make. His latest book is called:...

Being an urban superintendent is a tough job on its best day, but a fundamental fact of life about the public sector makes it even more difficult: style can trump substance, attitude can overshadow achievements and people skills...